


A Way Out: Rematch

by Obsessive_Reader



Category: A Way Out (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Friendship, I'm new to tagging so..., M/M, One Big Happy Family, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romance, Sexual Tension, Slow To Update, Wordcount: 30.000-50.000, eventually..., not sure yet - Freeform, probably sex later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2019-09-20 23:01:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17031582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obsessive_Reader/pseuds/Obsessive_Reader
Summary: Vincent is positive that if Leo had discovered who he was when they got off the plane, he would have grabbed the nearest gun and shot him down. That was, admittedly, the only other reason why he was so keen on keeping who he was on the down-low for now. The main reason was one that he wasn’t ready to admit to anyone but himself.





	1. New Plan

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing fanfiction for a while, but I'm very new to this site. So please, bare with me a bit. Thank you!!!

Ch. 1  
New Plan

_Shit._

That was all Leo could think about as he and Vincent slowly raised their hands in the air. They were so fucking close. After everything they had done- escaping prison, finding Harvey, finally killing that fucker- it was all for nothing. Leo could see nothing in front of him but flashing lights and a ton of cops armed to the teeth. There didn’t seem to be any way around this, and Leo couldn’t think of any ideas. He glanced over at Vincent, and he looked just as nervous as he was. Damn. If Vincent couldn’t think of a way out of this, then they were really screwed.

“Everybody stand down!”

The one man that wasn’t in a uniform stepped out from the crowd of cops, holding a pistol in his hand. He must be the one in charge. He marched forward until he stood in front of the two men. He glared at Leo for a moment, then at Vincent. Both men stayed still and silent. Then he stepped towards Leo and reached up for his vest. Before Leo could say anything, he had already taken the Black Orlov. He observed the stone in his hands for a moment before putting it in his pocket. He glared for a moment before waving a hand at the cops behind him.

“Cuff ‘em, boys.”

A few cops lowered their weapons and ran forward, holding metal cuffs. Leo’s mind was racing now. Thoughts of his home, his family, the fear of going to prison and never being able to see them again were flashing through his mind. And Vincent… he just became a father, and now he might never get to hold his daughter again.

Leo and Vincent looked at each other- concern for the other in both of their eyes- before the cops came up and grabbed them. They placed the cuffs on their wrists in an instant. They were way too tight, but Leo said nothing about it. They were each being pushed away from the plane and towards separate squad cars. The cops holding Leo were gripping him hard enough to leave bruises, but he just stayed quiet. He looked over at Vincent in time to see the cops who were holding him suddenly push him hard against the cop car, and his anger sparked.

“Hey, leave him alone-!”

The cops holding Leo forcibly shoved him into the back of a car. He sat up and peered out the window. He could see Vincent being led into the car, and he felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. What was going to happen to them? The car started up and slowly started to drive off. Leo kept his eyes on Vincent for as long as he could before his figure was too small to see.

“Alright, uncuff him.”

The cops released Vincent and one took the cuffs off him. Everything so far had been going according to his plan. His new, improvised plan that is. Just hours ago, while they were still in the air, Vincent had told Emily to radio the squad and warn them not to reveal who he was to Leo when they landed. He knew he had sounded crazy, but at the time he didn’t care. He had been more concerned about Leo and what his reaction would be. He was brash and aggressive, and finding out that Vincent had lied to him- at least, like this- would not have been a good idea.

The captain walked up to Vincent and held up his hand.

“Good job, Vincent.”

“Thanks, James,” Vincent shook his hand. “Glad you got my message in time.”

“Yeah, sure,” the captain folded his arms. “So, you want to tell me what the point of all that was?”

Vincent gulped and glanced away from his captain. “If Leo had found out that I was undercover now, he would’ve gone nuts,” he gave his excuse quickly. “He would’ve done something stupid, probably hurt someone. It’s better to keep him calm.”

“Huh. You can read him pretty well…”

Vincent gulped, but nodded. He certainly wasn’t going to give him the real reason, of course. He turned his head to look out at the road and his eyes landed on the squad car that Leo was in. He felt a knot form in his gut as he stared after it.

“So, what happens now?” he asked.

“We’ll bring the diamond back to its rightful home,” James answered, patting the coat pocket that held the stone. “And Caruso will be prosecuted for the crimes he has committed. No doubt he will be there for a long time. Speaking of which,” he turned to face Vincent. “I’m going to need you to write your report of everything that happened. I need it on my desk as soon as possible, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

 

 The first thing Vincent did when he got home was take a shower. It had felt like an eternity since he had been properly clean. The showers in prison weren’t exactly superb, and he had been on the run for a good month without bathing now. The water was hot; just what he needed. For a long time, all Vincent did was stand in the shower and let the water splash on him. For a brief moment, his mind was empty, and that gave him time to collect himself and relax.

His mind went in many different directions. Harvey was dead, his brother was avenged. His wife was safe, and his daughter was healthy and beautiful. The Black Orlov would be returned to its proper place. And… all that left was Leo. _Leo…_ Just the thought of him made his head spin and put a heavy weight on his chest.

_“Hey, I’m Leo.”_

_“Vincent.”_

_“Hey, listen, thanks.”_

Vincent sighed, leaning his hand against the shower wall. Everything that had happened felt so surreal, almost like a violent dream. But, it was so far from it.

_“It’s my plan, and I decide what goes down. You got that?”_

_“Sure. Whatever you say.”_

What would become of Leo now? He must be in the cells below the precinct now, waiting to be interrogated. Would he talk this time? Would he stay silent? Would Vincent see him? Did he have the strength to see him now?

_“I mean it, man. You fuck this up, I’ll kill you myself.”_

Vincent is positive that if Leo had discovered who he was when they got off the plane, he would have grabbed the nearest gun and shot him down. That was, admittedly, the only other reason why he was so keen on keeping who he was on the down-low for now. The main reason was one that he wasn’t ready to admit to anyone but himself.

Vincent stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry himself off. He stood in front of the foggy mirror and wiped some of the water off. He saw his face for what felt like the first time in years. Thinner, tired, a little scruffier. He had had that same mustache for years since he had joined the force and had never let his facial hair grow out like this before going undercover. He kind of liked it now.

Vincent stared at his reflection for a moment and sighed. He could remember the look on Leo’s face when they had been ‘surrounded’, and he had felt a pang in his heart. He knew that he couldn’t keep this from Leo forever, and he didn’t plan to. He just needed to find a way to help him, give him the freedom he deserved, and hopefully not get beaten to a pulp in the process. He knew that he wanted to help Leo, he just wasn’t sure how yet.

But, first things first, he had to see Carol.

Vincent got dressed as soon as possible before leaving his home. When he arrived at the hospital he had to park further in the back. There was some construction going on at the front entrance, no doubt due to the damage he and Leo had caused. He glanced up at the skylight where he had fallen through, and he could see some men already up there trying to replace the glass. It was pretty high up, he never noticed until now.

_“Afraid of heights?”_

_“Somethin’ like that.”_

He decided to enter through the back as well. There would probably be a few nurses that might recognize him from that night. Though he didn’t recognize anyone in the hospital, he could feel eyes on him when he walked through the building. He ignored them though.

He managed to find the maternity ward without difficulty. He looked around the hallways for a moment before finally coming to Carol’s room. He peered into the window and saw Carol sitting in a chair in front of a small hospital crib. Vincent could just see the top of his daughter’s head from here. He took a deep breath before grabbing the handle and slowly opening the door. Carol turned her head at the sound. Her eyes widened when she saw Vincent and she stood up.

“Vincent, what’re you-”

“I had to see you,” he said. “I couldn’t wait any longer.”

Carol didn’t respond immediately. She slowly turned to look at the crib again.

“You’re lucky. She hasn’t fallen asleep just yet.”

Vincent slowly walked over to stand next to his wife. He peered over her shoulder to look down at his beautiful daughter. She was laying still for the most part, only moving her tiny fists above her head. The weight of the whole ordeal seemed to have lifted off Vincent’s shoulders for a moment as warmth flooded his chest at the sight of her.

“Beautiful…”

Carol nodded. “I named her Julie.”

“I love it,” he said. “Is she okay? Still healthy?”

“Yes. Doctors said she should be good to go home in the morning.”

“Good,” Vincent grinned at Carol. “I can’t wait to have you both home again.”

Carol’s face fell as he said that. She sighed as she shook her head. “Vincent… you know I love you. But… I can’t keep competing for your attention anymore. I know how much you love your work and-”

“I’m resigning.”

The room was silent. Carol turned her head to look at Vincent, eyes wide and filled with confusion.

“Vincent…?”

“It’s over, Carol,” he said lowly. “It’s finally over. Harvey’s gone, and the Black Orlov is on its way back to its home right now. I going to give in my resignation in the next two weeks. After that… I’m all yours.”

Vincent carefully reached over and grasped Carol’s hand, ready to let go if she pulled away. She didn’t. She stares at him in shock.

“And… that’s it?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Carol stared up at him for a few moments before looking down at his hand. She smiled softly, returning his grasp. Vincent couldn’t help the smile that grew on his face at that. But, her smile faded slightly a moment later. Vincent grew more concerned as she looked up at him.

“What about Leo?”

Vincent paused. He expected Carol might ask about Leo, but he still wasn’t sure how to respond. He thought for certain that she didn’t know what feelings he was hiding, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t have any ideas. Vincent was a good liar, but not to Carol.

“I don’t know…”

Carol didn’t say anything at first. She looked at him intensely, but Vincent just looked at the floor, wondering what else to say. Carol reached forward with her free hand and touched his chest.

“Vincent, talk to me. What do you want to do?”

Vincent sighed. “I… I want to help him,” he admitted.

“Why?”

“Because…”

Vincent paused. He could write out a list of reasons why he wanted to help Leo, most of which were reason he’s sure his wife might not be happy about.

Vincent swallowed. “It’s my fault, Carol,” he answered. “He’s going to away for a really long time, and it’ll be my fault. I- I lied to him, Carol. I lead him along and used him to get to Harvey, and he’s going to pay the price for it if I don’t help him. But… I don’t…”

Vincent sighed, brushing his hair out of his face.

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.”

Vincent stared up at her. _We?_ Before he could say or add anything, they both heard a low cry coming from the crib. Carol leaned forward and picked Julie out of the crib, walking over to the hospital bed. She pulled down the front of her hospital gown and began breastfeeding. She looked back up at Vincent.

“Go home and get some sleep,” she said, smiling softly. “I can tell you’ve had a long night. We can talk about this more when we’re all home. Just try to put it aside until then.”

Vincent nodded. He walked over to the beside, leaned over and kissed Carol’s forehead. He smiled as he leaned down to kiss the top of Julie’s fuzzy head as well.

“I’ll pick you up in the morning.”

“Don’t be too late.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Vincent left the room with a grin on his face. But the prospect of sleeping on a nice, soft bed when he knew that Leo was being held up in a cold cell was not something he was looking forward to. That thought alone made it hard for him to fall asleep that night.


	2. Decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. This took a little longer than I thought, but I think it came out alright. I hope you all are enjoying this so far. If so, please comment and let me know. It really helps encourage me to keep writing. And if you have constructive criticism, I'd be glad to hear that as well.
> 
> Hope you like the chapter!

Ch. 2  
Decisions  
  


“Do you need me to help you up?”  
  
“I’ve got it. Could you get the door?”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
Vincent quickly opened the front door for Carol. She walked in slowly, carefully carrying Julie in her arms. Even though it was empty, the house was oddly quiet. Vincent looked over at his wife, realizing how long it had been since he had been home with her. Sleeping in bed alone the previous night had been tough- especially with everything that had been on his mind. But, just standing here with her made his environment more comfortable.  
  
“You didn’t eat at the hospital,” he said. “Did you want breakfast? I could make you something.”  
  
Carol shook her head. “I’m fine right now.”  
  
There was an awkward pause as they both stood in the hallway. Vincent rubbed the back of his neck, wondering what he should be doing now. Julie gurgled a bit, one of her hands poking out of the small pink blanket. Carol grinned down at her, reaching up to grab her tiny fist.  
  
“I’ve already fed her, so we could probably try to get her to take a nap,” she said. “There wasn’t a lot to do at the hospital, so I just kind of rocked her in my arms.”  
  
Vincent nodded. “Is her room all set up?”  
  
Before Vincent had left to go undercover, he and Carol were still in the process of furnishing the nursery for the baby. He hadn’t realized until recently that Carol had been left to finish it by herself. He hoped it wasn’t too difficult for her.  
  
“Yeah,” she said. “My brother came over and helped me set up her crib and everything. It wasn’t hard.”  
  
He nodded. “That’s good.”  
  
Carol walked around, heading through the hallway towards the living room. Vincent follows her silently. The house, he notices, seems cleaner than the last time he had seen it. Or maybe it had always been clean, and he had simply gotten too used to being in an unsanitary environment.  
  
Vincent followed her into the living room, and she slowly walked over to the green recliner in the far corner of the room. She stopped in front of it and turned around. She was staring up at Vincent, as though considering him. Her piercing gaze made him nervous, and he wondered what was going through her head.  
  
“Here, why don’t you take her?”  
  
Vincent blinked. He hadn’t expected that at all. The night Julie was born, Carol had been less than enthusiastic about letting Vincent hold her. Albeit, he was still posing as an on-the-run criminal and had gotten into a police chase right after. Still, he hadn’t expected she would let him hold her again this soon.  
  
“Oh… okay.”  
  
Carol walked forward, raising her arms to lift Julie up to him. Vincent gulped as he raised his arms to cradle the child. He had only ever held her once and he still felt nervous about holding her correctly. A moment later, Julie was safe and snug in his arms. Her tiny, baby blue eyes were open slightly, gazing up at him almost curiously.  
  
“She’s got your eyes…”  
  
Carol didn’t respond, but Vincent could see her smiling out the corner of his eye. He slowly walked forward towards the recliner, carefully sitting down. He made sure that Julie’s head was cradled correctly in his arms before finally relaxing a little bit. It definitely felt easier to hold her while he was sitting down. He supposed he’d just have to get use to holding her a little longer.  
  
Carol walked over to the loveseat nearby and sat down, leaning against the arm. For a while, they were silent as they both just stared at their beautiful daughter, waiting for her to fall asleep. Vincent looked up to gaze at Carol, who hadn’t noticed.  _She’s so beautiful,_ he thought as he stared at his wife.  
  
“I’m really glad you’re here,” he said.  
  
Carol looked up at him, nodding. “Me too.”  
  
There was a small pause. Vincent reached his hand up towards Julie, and she instantly reached up to grab one of his large fingers. He felt his heart leap for a moment.  
  
“Vincent,” Carol started. “We have to talk about Leo.”  
  
Vincent felt himself stiffen, his words caught in his throat. He swallowed and nodded.  
  
“I understand that you want to help him-”  
  
“I can explain,” Vincent said quickly, but Carol raised her hand.  
  
“You can explain the  _real_  reason why later,” she continued. “Right now, I just want to know how you plan on helping him. I can’t imagine you plan on breaking him out of there, right?”  
  
Vincent shook his head. “I won’t lie, it’s crossed my mind a few times,” he admitted. “But, I don’t think I could even if I wanted to. He’d be in even more trouble if he did.”  
  
“Right. So?”  
  
Vincent gulped. This morning when he had woken up, he had had the idea that he could probably pay Leo’s bail. He thought about it at the hospital and the whole car ride home. He knew that no matter how he put it, it would sound weird to his wife.  
  
“Well… I was thinking about maybe just paying his bail.”  
  
Carol raised an eyebrow, looking stern. “Do you even know what his bail is?”  
  
“Not yet…”  
  
“Vincent-”  
  
“Please, Carol!”  
  
She continued to look at him with the same firm expression. Vincent squirmed slightly under her gaze. Julie wriggled in his arms for a moment. Carol sighed.  
  
“Does he have anyone out there?” she asked. “Any family?”  
  
Vincent nodded. “A wife, and a son.”  
  
“You don’t think she could pay for it?”  
  
“They’re living in a trailer park surrounded by drunks and cheats,” he said. “Whatever his bail is, they can’t afford it. Not all of it, at least.”  
  
Carol looked into his eyes, looking shocked. Vincent gulped.  
  
“You met his family?”  
  
“He… he wanted to make sure they were safe once we escaped,” he explained.  
  
She stared up at him for a moment before her eyes softened, the corners of her lips curling slightly. She leaned back as she folded her arms.  
  
“Is this something you’re willing to pay?”  
  
Vincent nodded. “I am.”  
  
Carol lowered her head, sighing.  
  
“Alright then,” she said. “But, on two conditions.”  
  
“Of course,” Vincent said quickly.  
  
“You should talk with his wife first,” she told him. “I doubt anyone has told her where her husband is, she should at least know what’s going on. And, you need to make sure she knows who you really are if she doesn’t already. It’ll be better that way.”  
  
Vincent nodded in agreement. He didn’t say anything, but the thought of telling Linda who he was worried him slightly more than telling Leo. He was sure that she’d be angry, but he figured she just be more disappointed than anything.  
  
“Also,” Carol unfolded her arms. “When you get Leo out, I’m going to come with you. I’d like to introduce myself to him properly this time.”  
  
Vincent gulped. For some reason, the idea of his wife truly meeting Leo- maybe becoming friends with him- made him nervous. But, not the bad nervous.  
  
He was about to sit up when he remembered he was still cradling Julie. He looked down at her and saw that her eyes were finally closed. Her tiny head was snug against his chest, and she looked peaceful. Vincent beamed down at her.  
  
“We should get her to her crib,” Carol advised.  
  
Vincent nodded, carefully getting to his feet. He raised his arms to hand Julie over to Carol, but she shook her head. He paused, then nodded. He slowly walked out of the living room, his wife walking slowly behind him. It wasn’t until Vincent reached the stairs that he stopped. He was nervous about going up the stairs with Julie in his arms. What if he tripped and fell? Carol seemed to know what he was thinking because she gently held onto one of his arms, pulling slightly.  
  
“Don’t worry, it’s easier than you think,” she said calmly.  
  
Together, they both walked up the stairs, careful not to make a sound. Vincent was so cautious he was glad Carol was there to assist him. Once on the next floor, they quickly reached Julie’s nursery. It was simple, decorated in white and pink. Vincent walked over to the left side of the room where there sat a small crib covered in white lace. He lifted his arms and lowered Julie slowly onto the crib cushions. Carol reached into the crib and picked up the small white blanket, draping it across her. Julie’s feet flinched for a moment, but after that she was still. Vincent and Carol looked at her with smiles on their faces.

* * *

It was two days later that Vincent had to return to the precinct. He needed to be there to fill out his report for the case. The building was slightly busier than usual. The Black Orlov was still being shipped back to the Museum of National History, and the captain wanted everyone to keep watch of its progress to ensure that it got there safely. A special team had also been sent out to Mexico to recover Harvey’s body, as well as any other bodies that were left behind. Vincent didn’t have time to count the number of casualties while he was there.  
  
He was thankful that someone had the decency to make coffee that morning. He and Carol had both been woken up in the middle of the night by Julie multiple times. He had a less than desired sleep, but he was happy to do it. After grabbing a cup of coffee Vincent headed straight for his desk. It looked just how he left it, though it was slightly dusty.  
  
He set is cup down before sitting in his chair. He booted up his computer, which took several minutes. He took at moment to observe the office around him while he waited. It felt more cramped than he remembered, but it was mostly the same. The same faces he had seen for the last 10 years were all around him, doing their own work.  
  
Once the computer was on, he opened up a new document and prepared to write his report. He raised his hands to the keyboard, then stopped. It suddenly occurred to him that Leo would definitely not be talking to anyone in this building. That meant that Vincent would be the only one to tell them what happened. Everything that Leo did would be revealed, putting him in more trouble than he already is.  
  
Vincent wanted to take as much hurt off Leo as much as he could. He knew that he wasn’t going to say anything in the interrogation room, so it was up to him to lessen the blow. He could write out his report and tweak it just enough to shift some of the blame off Leo and onto him. He wouldn’t be affected too much, seeing as he would be quitting soon. He would take full responsibility if he could, but that wouldn’t be sensible or believable.  
  
He took a deep breath, he needed to work. He started typing.  
  
 ** _“I arrived to Michigan State Penitentiary on May 7, 1972. I was taken through the prison, my clothes were taken away and replaced with a prisoner uniform...”  
  
_** The first week of prison before he had actually met Leo was, for lack of a better word, boring. Nothing out of the normal except for a few late-night inspections from the guards. Other than that, it was a typical prison schedule. It took him a while to finish writing for the first week.  
  
 ** _“…a week into my mission, I was forced into a prison fight between Leo Caruso and another inmate. This inmate had been sent inside by Harvey to take out Caruso. The prison guards were able to break it up before anyone got seriously hurt…”  
  
_** _His whole torso was in pain. He was holding his side, breathing heavily. Some of the inmates were still picking themselves up off the ground as the guards walked away. Leo, sporting a bloody nose, marched towards him. Vincent looked up at him, curious. He raised a hand and pointed a threatening finger in his face.  
  
_ _“Stay the hell away from me. Okay?”  
  
_ Vincent sighed, shaking his head. He continued to type.  
  
 ** _“…Harvey’s hitman attacked Caruso in the prison cafeteria. I got myself involved for the sake of the case. We were forced behind the counter, beaten and hurt badly. The guards intervened, they ended up beating the prisoner to death. Caruso and I were transported to the prison medical center…”  
  
_** _“There’s something I need.”  
  
_ _“What’s that exactly?”  
  
_ _“Nothing, man. It’s simple. I just need you to watch my back while I get it, that’s all.”  
  
_ Vincent pauses, his hands hovering over the keyboard. For some reason, he was finding it harder to continue the more he wrote down. He was trying to be professional, trying to finish this stupid report. The sooner he did that, the sooner he could start helping Leo get out of this mess. But he just couldn’t focus.  
  
He leaned back in his chair, taking a swig from his coffee. He had to put everything out of his mind for now. He needed to concentrate. He still had a job to do. He hadn’t even filled out his resignation yet. He made a mental note to start on that as soon as he was finished with his report. He set his mug down and sat up, starting to type some more.  
  
 ** _“…I kept watch as he chiseled his way out, and he did the same for me. We managed to escape from our cells through the walls…”  
  
_** _They swung open the doors with all their might, leaning towards the other side. All that was there was an empty space with no floor. Vincent felt himself start to lean dangerously over the edge before Leo reached an arm out in front of him and carefully pushed him back.  
  
_ _“Careful, man!” he hissed.  
  
_ ** _“…and then snuck the sheets through the slot… used for rope to lower ourselves…”  
  
_** His brows furrowed as he continued to type away.  _Think about work, Vincent,_ he thought to himself.  _Think about your wife. Think about Julie. Think about_ anything  _else.  
  
_ ** _“…we climbed the shaft, back-to-back. But, when we reached the top we discovered we needed a wrench…”  
  
_** _“Did you really do that when you were a kid?”  
  
_ _“No.”  
  
_ _“What?”  
  
_ _“I saw it in a comic book once, when I was a kid.”  
  
"Tell me you're joking!"  
  
"No... I'm just glad it worked."  
  
_Vincent let out a small chuckle. He stopped quickly, looking around to see if anyone had heard him. Everyone was busy with their own work. He continued to write more.  
  
 ** _“…the line had snapped when I went across, Caruso caught it. In our struggle, the guards discovered our escape…”  
  
_** _He could feel his heart thundering in his chest as he climbed the rope as fast as he could. He saw Leo lean over the edge and reach his hand out to him, and he didn’t hesitate to grasp it.  
  
_ ** _“…I had to take out several guards with Caruso… we chose to sneak under the bridge…”  
  
_** _He stood up to the bars, wrapping an arm around them to keep himself up. He turned to look at Leo and raised his hand up to him.  
  
_ _“Take my hand and I’ll help you across.”  
  
_ ** _“…we were chased through the woods by guards and their dogs until we came to a cliff…”  
  
_** _"Come on, Leo!”  
  
_ _Everything seemed to be happening in slow-motion, but his heart was still racing. Leo had jumped up from the edge of the cliff, his arms in the air. Vincent knelt forward over the edge, his hand outstretched as far as he could go._ Don’t let him fall!  _a voice cries in his head.  
  
_ _The next thing he knew, Leo’s hand is holding his with a death grip, not letting go until the man in question is pulled back onto solid ground. Vincent reaches up to grab Leo’s shoulder. He can feel him shaking.  
  
_ _“Are you okay?”  
  
_ _“I’m fine,” he looks behind him. “Shit, we gotta go!”  
  
_ “Hey Moretti.”  
  
Vincent snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. The captain was standing in front of his desk, his hands in his pockets. Vincent quickly straightened himself in his seat.  
  
“Hey, captain.”  
  
“Heh, I’m surprised you haven’t shaved that mess of yet,” he chuckled, pointing to Vincent’s face. “Are you finally over the mustache, Moretti?”  
  
Vincent unconsciously raised his hand to touch his goatee. He had had it for so long now it almost felt natural.  
  
“It’s grown on me,” he admitted. “But, I’m guessing you didn’t come over here to talk about facial hair.”  
  
“Well, you’re right about that. You getting that report done?”  
  
“Yes, sir,” he said as he picked up his mug. “I should have it done in a few days.”  
  
The captain raised an eyebrow. “A few days? Are you sure you can’t finish it sooner?”  
  
Vincent gulped his coffee. “I just want to make sure everything is right. This was a long case, after all, and it is my last report before I resign. I want to make sure it’s decent.”  
  
This was obviously a lie, but a convincing one.  
  
“I actually wanted to ask about that, too,” James walked forward and put a hand on the desk. “About your resignation… are you sure about this, Vincent?”  
  
He paused. He knew that his boss, as well as everyone in the precinct, was questioning his desire to quit. Vincent wasn’t an arrogant man, but even he knew that he was the hardest working officer in this building. Stubborn, determined, workaholic Vincent. That’s who he had been since he started at the academy, and who he had been for decades since. He felt his whole body hunch slightly at the very thought of it.  
  
“I mean, you’ve been here for over twenty years, now,” he continued. “You worked your whole life for this job… you and your brother.”  
  
Vincent lowered his head. It had been over half a year now since Gary died, and just thinking of him still left a pit in his stomach. James gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.  
  
"You two were some of the best cops I’ve had, and you still are. There’s plenty of time for you here, Vincent. Who knows, you could probably have my job someday, if you really wanted. Are you really ready for this?”  
  
Vincent leaned forward, folding his arms across his desk. Yes, part of him was sad about letting go of this job. For as long as he could remember he had always wanted to be on the force. He had always wanted to be here, and he got here. He worked his ass off to get where he was. He had sacrificed so much for this job.  
  
But that was the problem; he had sacrificed too much.  
  
He sighed. “James… I love being a cop. I love being in this position. I love helping people and trying to make this world a better place, because that’s what we’re supposed to do,” he paused. “But… I think I forgot about that the longer I stayed here. This job comes with a lot of risks. I could go out on a mission right now, not knowing if it’s going to be my last. I could go out there and my family might never see me again.”  
  
“Moretti-”  
  
“I just think I’ve been here for too long,” he continued. “The longer I stay, the further away I become from what’s important. I have bigger things to focus on now. I have a wonderful wife that’s willing to stick by my side after everything I’ve done. I have a beautiful daughter that I’m looking forward to raising, and I’d like to at least live long enough to see her graduate high school.”  
  
James didn’t say anything. Vincent leaned back, looking his boss straight in the eye.  
  
“I love my job, sir… but I love my family more.”  
  
The captain said nothing. He stared at Vincent for a moment, arms folded. His face was as stoic as ever and his eyes were focused. Vincent remained unfazed. He had grown used to the captain’s attitude since first starting here. He shook his head.  
  
“Well… I guess that’s as good a reason as any,” he said lowly. “I can’t say I’m happy about it, I sure as hell can respect you for it.”  
  
Vincent nodded. “Thank you, sir.”  
  
He picked up his mug and began to drink some coffee. Suddenly, the doors at the other end of the room burst open and voices rang out.  
  
“Just keep moving.”  
  
“Alright, I’m goin’!”  
  
Vincent nearly spat out his coffee. The voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He whipped his head around the room, and from the back corner he could see two officers escorting a figure in cuffs out the basement, where the precinct cells were.  
  
It was Leo.  
  
Vincent turned his chair away in the opposite direction, trying to look as casual as possible while doing it. He could hear the footsteps get louder for a moment before they started to fade. He dared to turn his head around to take a peak. He saw them leading Leo to the other end of the building towards the interrogation rooms.  
  
“We’re going to try to get something out of him one last time,” the captain said, his eyes completely focused on Leo. He hadn’t even noticed Vincent’s odd behavior. “After that, we’re going to work on getting him sent to a new prison. One that will be much harder to escape from.”  
  
The captain turned and walked away, heading towards the interrogation room. Vincent carefully placed his mug back on the table before he got to his feet and quickly followed his captain through the room. He managed to reach him right before he reached the room.  
  
“Sir?”  
  
He stopped and turned to face him. “What is it, Moretti?”  
  
Vincent paused. He wasn’t sure how to ask this without sounding unprofessional, but he tried.  
  
“I just wanted to confirm,” he started. “There’s nothing that could keep Caruso from going to prison. Like… has his bail been set yet?”  
  
“Yeah, it was set the other day,” he shrugged. “30,000. Not like it matters at this point. He’ll be on his way by the end of the week.”  
  
“Well, what if his family were to pay his bail?”  
  
James snorted. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that, Vincent.”  
  
He opened the door and walked into the observation room. Vincent followed him in, shutting the door behind him.  
  
“What do you mean by that?” he asked.  
  
The captain sighed as he looked through the glass. “Look, the only thing that could help him is if someone were to pay his bail,” he smirked a bit. “Fat chance, though. I’ve looked into it and his family isn’t very well off. Probably won’t be able to afford his bail for a while.”  
  
Vincent stared at his boss, feeling slightly angry with his attitude. He already knew that Leo’s family wouldn’t be able to afford the bail, but he needed an excuse to ask. He glared slightly at his captain for a moment before turning his head to look through the glass. The officer inside was standing up now, gesturing calmly with his hands. Leo was sitting down at the table. He refused to even look at the cop, and he wasn’t even moving. Vincent stepped closer to the glass, staring at him. This was the first time he had seen Leo since he had been arrested. He had dark bags under his eyes, and he looked pale. The heavy weight had returned to his shoulders.  
  
“How soon can his bail be paid?” he asked.  
  
The captain snorted, shaking his head. Vincent didn’t laugh. He turned to face his captain with a serious expression. When he saw the look on his face, his smile fell.  
  
“Thursday is the earliest,” he said firmly.  
  
Vincent nodded, turning his head back towards the glass. He had two days to talk to Linda and figure out how to pay the bail. Was that enough time? He stayed in the observation room and watched over Leo until he was taken out and back to the cells. He wanted so badly to go downstairs and talk to him, or at least look at him, face-to-face. Instead, he returned to his desk to finish his report.


	3. Promises

                                                                                                                  Ch. 3  
                                                                                                               Promises  
  
Leo had lost track of time not long after he was put in this cell. With no clock in sight and no windows to look outside, the time just seemed to blend together. Just another problem added to the hell that he was in. He had been stuck in this damn cell for about four days now. Or was it five…? It didn’t matter. All that mattered is that he was, once again, back to where he started over 7 months ago. Locked behind bars.  
  
Leo was sitting on the floor, his back against the bars. The tiny cot in this cell was, if possible, worse than the poor excuse for a mattress at the prison. He had given up on trying to get any good sleep on that thing. Not that he could sleep. He was sore, tired, not to mention hungry. But, no matter how exhausted he was, there was too much on his mind that keep him up at night.  
  
He was still pissed about what happened. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He had plans for himself and his family once Harvey was taken cared of. Take the diamond far away, find a new buyer that could be trusted, and spend the rest of his life in a nice house away from this disaster. It didn’t need to be big, just far away. He and Linda would have never needed to work again. He would have been able to send Alex to a better school, maybe even send him to college once he was older. So many plans, so many ideas… none of them mattered anymore.  
  
Leo sighed as he leaned his head back against the bars. He missed his family dearly. The short amount of time he had seen them after he and Vincent escaped hadn’t been nearly long enough. He missed Linda. He missed waking up to her face every morning. Their playful bickering, their competitive habits, their constant determination to outdo the other with terrible puns. Most of all, he just missed being able to hold her, or even touch her. ‘Get back safe or I’ll kick your ass,’ she said. Welp, looks like he was in for in ass-whooping once he got out of here. If he got out, that is.  
  
And Alex… Leo was so scared for his little boy now more than ever. He and Linda had managed to keep his criminal history under wraps for so long until now. He knew that Leo had been in prison, but how much more could he know? What would Linda do if he asked her? Would she lie more? Tell him the truth? He was too young to understand everything, but that didn’t mean he won’t understand anything. Leo just needed to see him, speak with him. Tell him that no matter what he did, he did it for him and his mother. He loved that kid more than anything in the world. He wanted to be there as he grew up. He wanted to keep helping him learn how to ride a bike until he was a pro. He wanted to be there to lecture him once when he grew into a rebellious teenager. He wanted to teach him good jokes and how to sweet talk girls. Now, he might not even get to see him until he graduated high school, if he was lucky.  
  
Leo closed his eyes. His mind went back to the last time he saw Alex, just barley two weeks earlier. He could see the look of disappointment on his face as he climbed out his window away from him. He could see him reach out to give him a hug as Leo picked him up. He saw the look of joy on his face as he ran across the basketball court, tossing the ball back between him and Vincent.  
  
_“We’ll have to cross that bridge.”  
  
__“No shit.”  
  
__“Sherlock.”  
  
__“What?”  
  
__“You could’ve said “no shit, Sherlock.””  
  
__“No shit, Sherlock?”  
  
__“Good.”  
  
_Leo’s eyes flashed open. Vincent… He had been the only thing on his mind other than his family for the last couple of days. He was concerned to begin with when they were placed in separate squad cars. But, he became worried when they never put him in one of the cells down here. It didn’t make sense. Did they have another spot to put prisoners? He had considered that they might have separated them to keep them from escaping together again. Still, it was fishy.  
  
Leo wanted to ask- no, demand- to know where Vincent was as soon as he got here, but he was too prideful to even say a word. He leaned over to fold his arms over his knees, his head spinning. Wherever Vincent was, they were probably interrogating him as well. The pigs in this place were relentless, desperate for Leo to give them something. But, he was keeping his mouth shut. He had done this song and dance before, and he knew it was better to stay silent. No matter how much they tempted, threatened, or demanded, his lips were sealed. But, what about Vincent? Would he stay quiet like him? What would they do to him? The memory of seeing Vincent pinned against a squad car flashed into his mind. He started to picture Vincent in an interrogation room, being lectured and talked down to by cops. He could almost hear them yelling at him, demanding him to start talking.  
  
The very thought sparked Leo’s anger, and he felt his fists clench. He hadn’t wanted either of them to get caught, but he especially didn’t want Vincent to go down like this. The guy had a gorgeous wife of his own, and now a cute little daughter. He had just as much to come home to as Leo did. Now, he was stuck, somewhere, away from his family. Probably regretting ever agreeing to help Leo escape in the first place.  
  
_“I got you out, didn’t I?”  
  
__“What do you mean you got me out? We got out… **together**.”  
  
_Leo would never admit it, but he really didn’t have a full plan when Vincent approached him. He had one, just not a completed one. He supposed that’s why it took them more than a few days to actually get out of the fucking place. But, in any case, everything seemed to become a lot easier once Vincent started to tag along. Leo was unsure of what he would have done, otherwise.  
  
_“Yeah yeah. But, if it wasn’t for me, you’d still be in there.”  
  
__“Don’t forget I saved your ass. Twice…”  
  
_Vincent really had stuck his neck out for Leo more than a few times, and Leo had done the same in return. They probably wouldn’t have made it very far without helping each other. Still, there was always the risk. Leo had never been too trusting towards many people, and he had lost most of his ability to trust after Harvey betrayed him. But something was different about Vincent. From the day Leo first laid eyes on him, he could tell that there was something odd about him. Maybe that’s why he had been so keen on staying away from him at first. He had always been surprised at how much trust they had put in each other so early on into their adventure. Vincent could’ve ditched Leo at any time he wanted. Like the night they had escaped…  
  
_They had been running for what felt like an hour. They were both panting and gasping for air, trying not to slip on the wet ground. The rain had started to lighten up, but not enough for it to no longer be a problem. They continued running until they could no longer hear the dogs barking. Vincent finally stopped, leaning his hand against a tree for support. Leo marched up beside him, bending over to place his hands on his knees.  
  
__“Fuck!” he panted. “I… I hate those things!”  
  
__“Save your breath,” Vincent told him, still gasping slightly. “We can’t stop right now, we’ll have to keep going.”  
  
__“I know, I know,” Leo straightened up. “I don’t plan on stoppin’. You think I’d wanna stop in the middle of this- **Ah, shit**!”  
  
__Leo hissed as a sudden pain shot up from his right arm. He looked down, raising his arm to look at it in the small amount of light the moon could provide. His forearm had a large bitemark right in the middle, and blood was starting to fall down to his hand. He stared in surprise. How had he not noticed until now? Perhaps the mix of fear and adrenaline had clouded his mind to any pain he was feeling, and it was just now starting to wear off.  
  
__“What is it?” Vincent asked.  
  
__“Nothin’, man,” Leo said quickly, putting his hand behind him. “Come on, we gotta go.”  
  
__He started to walk forward, but Vincent grabbed his shoulder and forced him to stop. Leo was about to snap at him when he suddenly reached forward and grabbed his right wrist, pulling his arm out. They could each see the bitemark clearly now.  
  
__“Damn… he really got you, huh?”  
  
__“Yeah…” Leo groaned, holding his arm. “Stings like a bitch, I’ll that yah that.”  
  
__Leo glared down at the bite, angry at himself for letting himself get caught. Just another problem that they had to deal with now. Suddenly, Leo heard a loud ripping sound and he looked up. Vincent was turned away from him, looking like he was messing around with his shirt. Before Leo could ask he turned around, holding what looked like a worn piece of cloth. He had torn off the bottom part of his prison shirt. Leo was too busy staring at him that he hadn’t noticed Vincent move until he was right in front of him and holding his wrist again.  
  
__“What’re yah-”  
  
__“Just hold still, will you?”  
  
__Vincent took the cloth and began wrapping it around Leo’s forearm, covering up the bite. It was soaking wet and cold, but Leo took comfort in the fact that the wound was at least covered. He looked up at the other man to see a look of intense concentration on his face. Leo could feel the back of his neck start to feel warm, which should be impossible due to the weather. He winced once Vincent had tightened it in a knot, and he lowered his hand slightly.  
  
__“It’s not much, but it’ll stop the bleeding,” said Vincent. “You good to keep moving?”  
  
__Leo swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yeah…”  
  
_Leo lowered his head to look down at his right arm. There were still some dark marks on his arm from that dog bite, but they had completely healed by now. No doubt there would be some scarring. But a few scars were not the only thing he had earned that night. Not only had Vincent been patient with him when he was hurt, but he was kind enough to try to help. He could’ve just told Leo to suck it up and keep moving or threaten to ditch him if he became too much of a hassle. It had been the first time Leo had realized that Vincent truly wasn’t in this just to escape. He was willing to stick by him and work with him to the end. And he had.  
  
The door upstairs suddenly opened, making Leo jump slightly. The door shut and he could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. He pushed himself off the bars and up to his feet. He clenched his fists and puffed out his chest, ready for whatever pig came down there. Someone rounded the corner, and Leo stared.  
  
“Emily?”  
  
She nodded. “Hey, Leo.”  
  
He had seen the look on Emily’s face when they got out of the plane. How she seemed so comfortable and confident, despite the situation. He had figured long before now that she had betrayed him. Leo might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could spot a rat when it was obvious. He kept his eyes on her as she walked closer to his cell, and that’s when he took notice of her clothes. A dark police uniform with a bright, shiny badge on her chest.  
  
“You look like shit,” she said simply. “You holding up okay?”  
  
Leo didn’t answer her. He just stood there and stared at her badge for a few moments, stunned. He glared up at her.  
  
“I figured you might be a snitch,” he grumbled, glaring at her. “But, I didn’t think you’d actually be a damn cop.”  
  
Emily shook her head. “Leo, don’t make this any harder than it needs to be.”  
  
“Excuse me?” he stomped forward and grabbed onto the bars. “I’m locked in a cell, I’m on my way to prison, and I’m probably not gonna see my family or my friend for decades! Tell me, how much harder could it get?”  
  
“It would be a lot easier if you would try to cooperate with them.”  
  
Leo scoffed. “Oh, is that why you’re down here? You gonna try to reason with me and get me to spill my guts? Fat fuckin’ chance!”  
  
“Keep your voice down!”  
  
Emily hissed as she raised her hands in front of her. She turned her head to look towards the stairs, as if she were checking to make sure no one was there. Leo kept glaring at her as she turned back to look up at him.  
  
“Look, I’m not really supposed to be talking to you,” she whispered. “Hell, I’m not even supposed to be down here.”  
  
“Oh yeah? Then what’re you here for?”  
  
“I might be a cop, but I’m not heartless,” Emily folded her arms. “I know what the officers around here think about criminals, Leo. No matter how small the crime is, they… tend to abuse their power, and treat them like shit. We’ve had a couple cops suspended and fired over some incidents with prisoners,” she sighed. “I just… wanted to make sure you were still in one piece.  
  
Leo felt his shoulders relax as he stared at her. She seemed sincere enough, but the last time she had seemed sincere she turned out to be a cop. He groaned as he let go of the bars.  
  
“Well, thanks for the consideration,” he said coolly. “Funny enough, that doesn’t do me any good. I’m still stuck in here!”  
  
“Look, staying silent isn’t going to solve anything, Leo,” said Emily. “This is looking bad for you. If you gave them some information you could get your sentence reduced and your bail lowered. That would be a lot easier on you and your family. Please, Leo, I just want to help you.”  
  
He stared incredulously at her. “Help me? Look around, Emily. Does it look like I’m being helped? No good came come from any of this shit!”  
  
Emily stood her ground, but her firm expression had fallen. It looked concerned, almost sad. Leo shook his head, turning away from her. He leaned back against the bars and slowly slid down until he sat on the ground.  
  
“You’re just like the rest of them…”  
  
He heard Emily sigh, but she did not respond. The room was silent for a few moments. Leo heard footsteps slowly walk further and further away, but he refused to look up. He heard the door shut a few moments later. He folded his arms over his knees and leaned his head down.  
  
He should’ve asked her about Vincent.

* * *

Vincent stayed in the car for about another minute after he had parked. He was slightly nervous, trying to think of how he should even start. But his mind was completely blank. He would probably have to just go with the flow and say whatever came up, as long as it was the truth.  
  
He sighed, finally getting out of the car. He looked out at the small trailer. He couldn’t see anyone, so he figured that they must be inside. He shut the car door and started to make his way towards the trailer. He walked up the steps, over to the door, and raised his hand to knock. He hesitated, just for a moment, before taking a deep breath and knocking on the door. He heard footsteps on the other side. There was a pause. The door slowly creaked opened, and Linda stood in the doorway.  
  
“Vincent?”  
  
Vincent nodded. “Hey, Linda.”  
  
She peeked her head around, looking to see if there was anyone else was around. She frowned and looked up at me.  
  
“Where’s Leo?”  
  
“That’s why I’m here,” he said. “Can I come in?”  
  
She nodded, stepping aside to give him room. Vincent walked inside. His nerves were staring to get to him now, he could feel it all over. But, he ignored it. He had come too far to back down now. As he walked in he turned and saw Alex sitting at the table, apparently coloring on some papers. He looked up and beamed.  
  
“Hey Vincent!”  
  
Vincent waved. “Hi, Alex.”  
  
He was happy to see Alex, and he seemed happy to see Vincent as well. Linda was the only one who wasn’t smiling.  
  
“Is everything alright?” she asked.  
  
“Yeah, it’s fine.”  
  
“Where’s Leo? Why isn’t he with you?”  
  
Vincent gulped. “Linda, I have to talk to you.”  
  
Linda stared at him, not moving for a moment. She looked over at Alex and quickly moved over to him.  
  
“Uh, honey, why don’t you go color on the porch for a moment,” she said. “We need to talk for a bit, okay?”  
  
“Oh, okay.”  
  
Alex picked up his papers and got out of his chair. Linda opened the door for him, patting his head as he walked outside. She quickly shut the door and turned to face Vincent.  
  
“What happened?” she asked, sounding scared. “Is he okay? Is he hurt?”  
  
“No, no,” he said quickly. “He’s alright, he’s alive.”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
Vincent didn’t respond at first. This was harder than he thought it was going to be. But, it was something he had to do.  
  
And so he did. He spent the next hour telling her everything. Who he really was, why he was after Harvey, and the reason why he stuck with Leo to begin with. Linda wasn’t exactly thrilled to find out that her husband’s trusted friend was actually a cop. She had hit him a few times, almost threatened to make him leave, but Vincent begged her to hear him out.  
  
“Are you serious?” she asked, almost yelling. “You want me to listen to you now?”  
  
“Linda, please,” Vincent raised his hands in surrender. “I’m not here to cause you any grief, I’m actually here to help.”  
  
“Vincent-”  
  
“Linda, this might be our only chance to help Leo. If you kick me out, we might not get another shot.”  
  
Linda is standing by the door, her hand on the knob, ready to kick Vincent out the door if she wants. He wouldn’t have let her. He was willing to stand there and argue all day if he had to. He needed to do this. For himself, for his friend, and their families. She stood there for a good ten seconds, silent and unmoving, before finally letting her hand fall.  
  
“Unbelievable,” she muttered angrily. “First friend Leo makes in years, and not only is he a cop, he’s a damn lair, too. Fucking typical.”  
  
Vincent sighed. “Not everything was a lie…”  
  
Linda turned to stare at him.  
  
“Look, like I told you, I was just supposed to get information out of Leo,” he explained. “I didn’t mean for it to come this far, but it did. And now, Leo’s facing at least 15 years in prison with 30,000 bail.”  
  
He could see her face drop, her expression hopeless for a brief moment. She closed her eyes and shook her head.  
  
“Where is he right now?”  
  
“They’re holding him at the precinct. They’ve tried to interrogate him, but he’s not saying anything.”  
  
“Of course, he isn’t,” Linda said in a bitter voice. “You’re not gonna get a damn thing out of him. Even if he wanted to, he’s too proud and stubborn to do it.”  
  
“Exactly,” Vincent continued. “So, at this rate the only thing that could help him is paying his bail.”  
  
Linda shook her head, chuckling. Vincent couldn’t help but stare at her, wondering what was so humorous about this. She raised a hand to cover her eyes. Was she crying?  
  
“You say that like it’s so easy,” she said quietly. “You said it was 30,000, right? Look where we’re at, Vincent. If we could afford his whole bail, we wouldn’t be stuck here.”  
  
“His whole bail?” Vincent asked. “So, you can afford some of it?”  
  
“Well, we could probably pay half of it. But, it’s not like it matters any-”  
  
“That’s the other reason why I’m here.”  
  
She raised an eyebrow? “What do you mean?”  
  
“I plan on paying Leo’s bail,” he answered. “I’m willing to pay all of it, if I need to.”  
  
Linda didn’t say anything. For a few seconds, all she did was stand there and stare at him. All anger and irritation had vanished from her face, replaced with shock and confusion. Vincent stood there, waiting for response. She sighed, taking a seat at the table.  
  
“We don’t need any charity.”  
  
“I’m not trying to be charitable or anything,” he said quickly. “I- I’m just trying to set things right. For everyone.”  
  
Her brows furrowed. “You actually want to help him?”  
  
He nodded. “In any way I can.”  
  
There was silence again. Linda glanced from Vincent to the table, then gestured to the chair across from her. He sat down in front of her without question. She folded her arms on the table, a firm expression on her face.  
  
“Look, I can’t afford to take any chances right now,” she said. “So, I need to know if you’re for real this time. Can I trust you?”  
  
“This mission has been finished, Linda,” he told her. “Everything is right and in order. I’ve got no reason to lie anymore.”  
  
Linda continued to stare at him, her expression not falling. Vincent remained still under her gaze. It was… intimidating, to say the least. Carol had been the only woman in Vincent’s life to intimidate him, and that was a rare occasion. After a moment, Linda seemed satisfied, and sighed.  
  
“Alright… I guess I’ll have to trust you. But, if you’re pulling any strings, I won’t hesitate-”  
  
“I understand.”  
  
Linda nodded. “So… what do you plan to do?”  
  
“Leo leaves for prison on Saturday,” Vincent said. “The earliest we can pay his bail is Thursday.”  
  
“That’s tomorrow.”  
  
He nodded. “Linda, I need to know if you’re on board with me on this. I can’t do this unless you’re with me.”  
  
She didn’t say anything. She just lowered her head slightly, staring at the table. Vincent sat there for a long as he could stand before he started speaking again.  
  
“If it makes you feel better, you can pay however much you can afford, and I’ll pay the rest,” he offered. “I don’t care. I’m getting him out of there, either way.”  
  
Linda raised her head and frowned at him. “Let me ask you something, Vincent.”  
  
“Sure.”  
  
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. “I mean, you got everything you needed. You got the diamond back, you killed Harvey, and none of your people got hurt. So… why? Why do you want to help Leo so bad?”  
  
Vincent paused, considering how he should answer. He had one, big honest answer that he was sure wouldn’t fly well with her. And one smaller, but still truthful answer. He decided on the latter.  
  
“Because… it’s my fault,” he said. “It’s my fault he’s in this mess. It’s my fault he’s in trouble. I lied to him… and now I need to make things right. I… I owe it to him.”  
  
Linda nodded. “Right,” she leaned in. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you’re actually doing this?”  
  
Vincent froze, staring at her with his mouth slightly opened. What did she mean? Did she know? Impossible. How could she?  
  
“I…”  
  
“Vincent, you said I could trust you,” said Linda. “Now, how about you trust me for a change?”  
  
Vincent couldn’t believe it, but something in his heart was telling him to trust her. Trust her with everything. Even the parts that would make her upset. He sighed as he leaned over the table.  
  
“Because… he’s my friend,” he said softly. “He’s… one of the best friends I’ve had in years. I care about him… and I’m worried about him. I don’t wanna see him go down like this, especially because of me.”  
  
“And…?”  
  
“I… Geez, Linda, what else do you want me to say?”  
  
Vincent was starting to feel nervous again, his face starting to feel hot. Linda’s expression when from a stern gaze to a knowing smirk.  
  
“Now I can see how you managed for so long,” she said. “You’re a good lair.”  
  
“I’m not-”  
  
“Relax, tough guy,” she leaned back, looking more like herself now. “I’m not the one you need to spill your guts to right now. But, we can worry about that later. Right now, we need to figure out what to do next.”  
  
“Right.”  
  
“So… I can definitely pay 10,000 right now,” she started. “I can split it even and pay 15,000, but even that would be a stretch. But, I can do it if you can give the other 15, 000.”  
  
“No problem,” Vincent agreed. “Like I said, I can pay the whole thing if I need to.”  
  
“I can pay you back for what you give, but it’ll take a while for me to get it.”  
  
He shook his head. “No, no. You don’t need to pay me back for anything. I know what I’m getting myself into, you just worry about yourself and Alex. I don’t want you to do something you can’t handle.”  
  
“Whatever you say,” she leaned in slightly. “One more thing.”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
“When you get Leo out, and bring him back home,” she started. “You are going to have to tell him everything. Everything you lied about, you need to tell him. I’m not going to say a word because he needs to hear it from you. But, you need to promise me that you’ll tell him.”  
  
Vincent nodded slowly. “I know.”  
  
“Vincent…”  
  
“I promise."  
  
She nodded. There was a pause. The whole trailer was silent for a several seconds. Neither of them seemed to know what else to say.  
  
“Well, unless there’s something else you need to know, then I should get going,” Vincent sat back. “I’m gonna go to the precinct first thing in the morning. I was going to drive him back here, unless you wanted to.”  
  
“No, it’s fine.”  
  
Another quiet pause. Vincent stood up, thanked Linda for listening to him, and turned around. He headed straight for the door and raised his hand to grab the handle.  
  
“Vincent.”  
  
He stopped but didn’t turn around.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Did Harvey really kill your brother?”  
  
He felt a lump form in his throat before swallowing it. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her and saw that her expression was much softer now. Like it usually was.  
  
“Yes.”  
  
She hung her head. “I’m… I’m so sorry.”  
  
He gave her a small nod, accepting the condolences. He opened the door and stepped out of the trailer. The sun was still high and bright in the sky. He turned his head to see Alex sitting on his knees on the porch, no longer coloring, but looking up at him.  
  
“Is everything okay?”  
  
Vincent glanced up to see Linda standing halfway out the door, looking between him and Alex. He smiled as he kneeled in front of him.  
  
“Yeah, it’s all good.”  
  
“Where’s my dad?”  
  
Vincent could see Linda shaking her head slightly. He gave her a nod before looking back at Alex.  
  
“He’s a little busy,” he answered. “He had some work to take care of before he could come home. I think he’ll be back soon.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Yeah,” Vincent, looking for a decent distraction, leaned over and pointed at Alex’s drawings. “Say, these look pretty good. What kind of stuff you got there?”  
  
Alex smiled and picked up some of his drawings, going into detail about what they were and why he drew them. Vincent was kind and interested enough to listen to every word. He thought he could see Linda smiling at him from the corner of his eye.


	4. Reunited

Ch. 4  
Reunited

 

Leo lay on the cot, silently staring up at the ceiling. He had woken up from an uncomfortable sleep an hour ago- or maybe two?- and hadn’t been able to fall asleep. He could hear the footsteps and faint voices above him, so it must be morning. He couldn’t care less what time it was though.  
  
Boredom was something that he couldn’t fight against down here. He could deal with the shitty meals, the painful cot, and the small cell. But, there was nothing down here to keep him entertained or distracted. At least in prison he had his journal to write in and books to read. It was so much quieter here than it was in there. Even arguing with someone across the hall was better than looking at the wall all day.  
  
Leo shook his head. What was he doing? Thinking of reasons why prison was better than this? He was probably on his way to a much bigger, much tougher prison after all this. One that wouldn’t let him have a journal or read books. He probably wouldn’t have any luck finding decent connections in there either. Yeah, Leo could picture it now. Stone walls taller than he could see, rows of cells about a mile long, and guards with mean, nasty mugs. And the inmates… Well, hopefully his experience with prison would prepare him somewhat for that.  
  
Leo wondered if he would have a chance to see his family before being sent back to prison. Just to give them one last goodbye before he left for a possible life behind bars. Or, would he be sent straight in without so much as a chance to see them? Watching Alex grow up while he was stuck inside was something he wasn’t looking forward to. And Linda… He knew she could take care of herself. She was strong, probably stronger than he was. He wasn’t worried about her waiting for him either. They’ve gone through long periods of time without each other before. They each had their own needs, but they still loved each other. Nothing would change that.  
  
 _“How do you and your wife manage to stay together in this line of work?”  
  
_ _“We’ve always been together. You know, she knows me better than I know myself.”  
  
_ He still hadn’t heard of Vincent yet. Would they get sent to the same prison? It would certainly make the whole ordeal a little less unbearable. But… no. Shit, what was his thinking?! He didn’t want Vincent to be in prison with him. He wanted to be free with him! He wanted both of them to be out and happy with their families and-  
  
And? And what? With each other? As friends? As something else? Leo groaned. The last thing he wanted to think about right now was his complicated feelings towards Vincent. And yet, they were always hanging around with the rest of his thoughts. He wished he had a chance to see Vincent. At least to apologize for not finding a better way out of this mess.  
  
 _“You know somethin’? You’re the first guy that worked at a bank that I’ve talked to without a gun in my hand.”  
  
_ _“Well, would you look at that? You’re making progress, Leo.”  
  
_ It was at that moment that Leo noticed that the voices on the upper floor had gotten louder. Much louder. It sounded as if somebody was angry. It didn’t surprise him. Leo knew cops were typically very serious and had short fuses. Still, this angry yelling had him intrigued enough to try to listen. What else was he going to do, right? But, no matter how much he focused, he just couldn’t hear enough to figure out the words.  
  
“Someone pissed in his coffee,” he muttered to himself.  
  
It was at that moment that he heard the door up the stairs click, and it creaked open. As it did, he heard the voice yelling a little more clearly. He caught a few words like, “insane” and “stupid” before the door closed again. Leo could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. He groaned, sitting up from his cot. They’re not interrogating him again, are they? Man, these pigs were persistent. He was about to stand up when he looked up and saw Emily walking up to his cell. She was standing there in her full uniform, and she was grinning at him. Leo glared as he got up on his feet.  
  
“If you’re gonna try to get me to talk, it won’t work.”  
  
Emily didn’t respond. She just stood there, grinning at him. Leo would have asked her what she was so happy about if he wasn’t still mad at her. She reached behind her and pulled out what sounded like a small ring of keys. She leaned towards the door of the cell, the door clicked, and she carefully opened it up. Leo stood still, staring at her in confusion. What was going on?  
  
“Leo Caruso,” she spoke in a professional tone, still grinning. “I’m pleased to tell you that your bail has been paid off. I’m here to escort you out of the building.”  
  
Leo swore he felt his jaw hit the floor. What the hell did she just say? Was he hearing things?  
  
“My…bail?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“All of it?”  
  
“Yes, all of it.”  
  
“But, how-”  
  
“I’ll explain soon,” Emily cut him off, sounding a little more casual. “I’m going to walk you through the station and bring you to the front outside. Your ride is waiting for you out there.”  
  
Leo stood there, unable to move for a moment. Emily’s words seemed too good to be true, and yet here she was, basically telling him he was free to go. He tried to think of a reason that she might be lying to him, but any conclusion he came to seemed too stupid. Even for him. Cautiously, he took a few steps towards her, stopping at the cell entrance. She took a step back, gesturing out with her arm. He stepped out and waited. He didn’t want to get his hopes up just yet, incase this was some kind of trick. Emily then reached up and grabbed onto Leo’s elbow, keeping a firm grip on him. He raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
“At least you don’t need to be in cuffs,” she retorted.  
  
He rolled his eyes. Quickly, they walked together away from the cell and up the stairs. Emily reached for the door, but hesitated. Leo felt her squeeze his arm slightly before she finally opened the door.  
  
The precinct was buzzing, cops running around and muttering to each other. They all looked irritated and busy at work. The yelling that Leo had heard earlier was much louder and clearer now. It seemed to be coming from a nearby office that was closed off from the rest of the desks in the room. The windows by the office door were covered by blinds. Leo could see the outline of a man pacing back and forth in the room, clearly angry. He stood there, staring at the office for a moment. Emily squeezed his arm a little tighter and pulled.  
  
“Come on,” she whispered.  
  
Leo turned away as she pulled him through the room, now holding him with both hands. He could feel nearly everyone’s eyes follow him as he was led away from them. He heard a door bang open, possibly from the office he had just passed up. He turned slightly to see who it was, but Emily gave him a smack to the back of the head, forcing him to keep looking forward.  
  
“You’re fucking scum, Caruso! You can’t stay out of trouble forever!”  
  
“Ignore him,” Emily whispered. “Just keep moving.”  
  
Leo probably would have turned right around to say something if Emily didn’t have such a firm grip on him. And he didn’t feel like getting smacked again.  
  
They didn’t run into any more people as they walked through the rest of the building. Emily lead him up to the front doors and walked with him outside. It wasn’t until they were out that she finally let go of him.  
  
“Alright, you can go. Someone will call your home later to give you your court date.”  
  
“What court date?” he asked.  
  
“To go over the terms of your release,” she waved it off. “It’s to make sure you’re as close to a model citizen as you can get and don’t stir shit up. You own a suit?”  
  
“I have a jacket…”  
  
“Buy a tie.”  
  
Leo frowned. “So, I’m really out? Just like that?”  
  
Emily grinned and nodded. “Yeah, just like that.”  
  
“Why are you acting like this?”  
  
“Like what?”  
  
“You know, grinning and shit now that I’m free,” he explained. “You’re a cop. Aren’t you mad that I’m not going to jail?”  
  
Emily’s grin faded. She sighed as she folded her arms.  
  
“Look, I can’t apologize for everything I did, okay? It wasn’t personal, I was just doing my job,” she paused. “I know you probably still hate me right now, and I get why. I did what I had to do, but it was a scummy way of doing it. And…”  
  
She huffed, looking like she was searching for the right words. Her face was scrunched up in irritation… and remorse. The look on her face and the tone of her voice was so sincere. For the first time since he had been arrested, Leo felt his anger towards her fade. His head felt a little clearer, and he stopped glaring at her.  
  
“Forget it,” he said, and she stared up at him. “What you did was shitty, but… if you really mean it… then okay.”  
  
Emily blinked up at him, looking amazed. Leo shrugged. He was still upset, but he knew that after some time that he’d be okay around her again. They stood there with each other for a moment before she grinned up at him again. She had very pretty smile… for a cop. As she turned towards the doors, she gave a small nod.  
  
“Your ride’s over there.”  
  
Leo frowned at her as she walked back through the front doors. He shook his head as he turned around. It wasn’t until then that he noticed that there was a small, brown car parked beside the sidewalk that he hadn’t noticed before. He didn’t recognize it at all. He stood there staring at it for a moment before walking towards it. As he got closer, he noticed that someone was standing beside it. They were leaning against the hood, facing the other way. He soon realized it was a man, with broad shoulders and soft brown hair. He must have heard Leo walking, because he straightened up and turned his head slightly.  
  
Leo felt himself stopped about 20 feet away from the car as he stared. _Is that…?_ The man turned around completely, and he walked around the front of the car to stand in front of the other man. Leo could see him perfectly now. That posture and scruffy goatee were very recognizable.  
  
Neither man said anything. They both just stood there, staring at each other. Vincent grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“Hey,” he said lowly, as if he were embarrassed.  
  
The ache of the last several days seemed to vanish right then and there. Leo felt his mouth split into a grin, his face feeling strained due to the lack of use over the last week. He suddenly had the urge to move again, and he started taking quick steps towards the other man. Vincent a look of embarrassment soon turned to surprise. He had just enough time to raise his arms before Leo wrapped his own around him, bringing him into a massive hug. Leo didn’t care about looking silly or being embarrassed. He was just happy to see Vincent, and even happier when the other man hugged him back just as hard. They both laughed breathlessly, gripping each other tightly.  
  
They held each other for several seconds before Leo finally released him. He was still beaming, keeping his hands on Vincent’s shoulders.  
  
“Dude, what’re you doin’ here?” he exclaimed. “I mean- How did you get out? Why-”  
  
“It’s a long story, but it doesn’t matter right now. How’re you doing?”  
  
“Fuckin’ great now,” Leo shook his head. “But… I don’t get it. Who-?”  
  
“I’m sorry it took so long,” Vincent looked embarrassed again. “I… I had to see my family, then I had to find Linda-”  
  
“What do you mean? What took so long?”  
  
"Getting you out.”  
  
Leo stared at him. His grip on his shoulders loosened slightly. Vincent leaned in, looking concerned.  
  
“Leo?”  
  
“Vince, did you pay my bail?” Leo asked.  
  
Vincent nodded. “I paid for half of it. I would’ve paid for the whole thing, but Linda wasn’t having it.”  
  
He chuckled. Leo didn’t respond at first. He was stumped, looking at his friend in pure amazement. After spending almost a week behind bars with no way of knowing what happened to Vincent, not only is he out and well, he paid part of Leo’s bail. He got him out. Leo beamed, grabbing Vincent’s arms again.  
  
“You’re unbelievable…!”  
  
He pulled him into another hug, which Vincent returned. Leo didn’t realize how much he had missed just being close to Vincent. Being able to hold him was even better. Neither of them said anything. They simply stood there, enjoying the moment. It wasn’t until they heard the sound of a car door shutting that they snapped back to reality. Pulling away from each other, Leo looked up to see a woman coming out of the car as well. It was Vincent’s wife, Carol. The two men quickly let go of each other as she walked up to stand beside them.  
  
“I was wondering how long it would take you to remember I’m here,” she said, looking up at her husband.  
  
Leo stared up at Vincent, who chuckled nervously. Carol took a step forward and raised her hand.  
  
“I’m not sure if you remember me,” she said kindly. “We didn’t really get a chance to talk at the hospital. I’m Carol.”  
  
Leo grinned, reaching up and shaking her hand. “Yes ma’am, I remember you. How’re you feelin’?”  
  
“Much better now, thanks.”  
  
He gulped. “Listen, I just… I wanna say thank you. I don’t know how much you gave, but I promise I can make it up-”  
  
Carol shook her head. “No need. Vincent and I knew what we were doing. You don’t owe us a thing.”  
  
Despite her kind words, Leo still felt like he did owe them something. Hell, he practically owed them his life! And if he couldn’t pay them back with money, he’ll just have to pay them back in any other way he can.  
  
“So, what happens now?” he asked.  
  
“Well, I told Linda that I could drive you home,” Vincent said. “I hope you don’t mind…”  
  
“Nah, that’s great!”  
  
Vincent grinned at him. Carol gave him a pat on the arm before turning and heading back to the car. The two men looked at each other for a moment before following her. Leo noticed that Carol had opened the door to the backseat rather than the front.  
  
“You can take the front,” she told him. “I have to sit in the back.”  
  
Leo was about to ask why when he heard a soft noise come from the backseat. _No way!_ He quickly opened the car door and got into the passenger seat before turning around. There in the center seat next to Carol was a large baby seat and buckled in it was a tiny baby in a pink onesie.  
  
“Oh, wow!”  
  
“I hope you don’t mind,” Carol said, sounding slightly concerned. “We couldn’t find anyone to stay with her on short notice.”  
  
“Not at all!” Leo beamed, leaning over slightly. “Look at that cute little bug.”  
  
The baby couldn’t move her head much, but she could move her eyes to look up at him. She scrunched her nose at him. He stared at her, then scrunched his nose right back at her. She let out a blubbery snort that sounded like a giggle. Leo grinned as he felt the car start to move.  
  
“What’s her name?”  
  
“We named her Julie.”  
  
“Ah, that’s freakin’ cute.”  
  
Leo spent most of the car ride making goofy faces at Julie and talking with Carol. He even started giving her some baby tips. He was a father himself, and though he wasn’t going to toot his own horn about it, he felt he had done a pretty damn good job with Alex. As he spoke, he could see Vincent occasionally glance over at him, grinning.  
  
“She keepin’ you up all night?”  
  
“Well, not all night,” Carol sighed. “But, I had some trouble waking Vincent up this morning. He sleeps like a rock,” she said under her breath, smirking.  
  
Leo laughed. He could see Vincent roll his eyes, shaking his head.  
  
“You should try taking turns,” he said. “If she wakes up, one of you can go handle her, and the next time she does it the other one can handle her. That’s what me and my wife did.”  
  
“I’m guessing you never got enough sleep, huh?” Vincent asked.  
  
“Oh, you’re never gonna get enough sleep,” he said seriously. “That’s something you gotta get used to for a while.”  
  
“Well, we’ve been sleeping in for a while,” said Carol. “I think this would be a nice change of pace.”  
  
They reached the trailer park about thirty minutes later. Leo could feel his own face light up as he saw his home. As soon as the car had stopped, he pushed open the door and leapt from his seat. He quickly ran around the car, pushed past the gate and straight for the porch. He glanced back at Vincent, who was following close behind him, before turning back and knocking on the door loudly. He heard footsteps on the other side before the door swung open. Leo felt his chest swell up as he looked at his gorgeous wife. She gasped.  
  
“Leo!”  
  
She threw herself at him and he caught her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She buried her face in his neck, breathing heavily. Leo turned his head to kiss her cheek. She quickly held his face and brought him in for a kiss.  
  
“I missed you, beautiful,” he huffed.  
  
“I missed you, too! God, I’m sorry it took so long. I wanted to get you out sooner, but-”  
  
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now.”  
  
“Dad?”  
  
Leo looked down to see his son beaming up at him. Alex ran forward and wrapped his arms around his father. Leo hugged him back tightly, leaning down to kiss his head.  
  
“Hey, buddy! How’s it goin’?”  
  
“I knew you’d be back! I knew it!” Alex exclaimed. “I waiting for you.”  
  
“Oh yeah? I didn’t keep you waiting too long, huh?”  
  
“No way! Hey, do you wanna play some basketball? Or baseball? Or-”  
  
“We can do all of that, buddy,” Leo said, tussling his hair. “I promise. But… I’ve been pretty busy. I need a sec to settle back in again, okay?”  
  
Alex nodded. “Well, okay. Oh! I made some new drawings yesterday. Do you wanna see?”  
  
“Sure!”  
  
Alex grinned before turning and running back inside. Leo watched him for a moment before turning to smile at Linda. They both turned to look at Vincent, who was standing beside them, looking patient. Linda stood still, staring at him. There was something in her expression that confused Leo, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Linda turned her head in the direction Alex had ran, then to Leo, and then back to Vincent. The corners of her mouth curled slightly. She took a few steps forward, bringing her arms up and wrapping them around Vincent’s shoulders. He looked very surprised for a moment, but relaxed and hugged her back. Leo couldn’t help but smile.  
  
“Thank you,” she said calmly as she released him.  
  
Vincent nodded. Leo walked up and put a hand on her shoulder.  
  
“Why don’t you go in? I’ll be there in a second.”  
  
She nodded and went back into the trailer, leaving Leo and Vincent alone. They turned to look at each other. Neither of them said anything for a moment. Leo wasn’t sure what to say.  
  
“So… I don’t normally say this too much,” he started. “And I don’t say it enough, but… thanks. Thanks a lot.”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
“Seriously, man… I owe you _big time_ for this one.”  
  
Vincent shook his head. “You don’t owe me anything for this, Leo. I would’ve gotten you out of there even if I had to pay the whole bail myself. I would’ve paid the whole thing if Linda had let me.”  
  
There was silence again. Vincent ran his hand through his hair and Leo rubbed the back of his neck nervously. This was something that he hadn’t really thought about, even before he had been arrested. They were both out, they were both free, and they were both reunited with their families. What would happen now? Leo had a good idea of what he wanted, but he wasn’t sure if he would get it.  
  
“Did, uh, did you guys wanna stay for a bit…?” he asked quietly.  
  
“Can’t right now. Carol is already nervous about having Julie outside the house for too long.”  
  
Leo nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Totally.”  
  
 _Stupid!_ He snapped at himself.  
  
“But…”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Um…” Vincent cleared his throat, and Leo swore he saw his face start to turn pink. “There’s this bar I like that’s a few blocks away from where I live. It’s small, but it’s nice. Did… you wanna get a drink tomorrow?”  
  
Leo thought he felt his heart leap for a moment. He tried not to let his glee show, but it was nearly impossible. He could feel himself grinning already. But, he wanted to play it off cool, and he chuckled teasingly.  
  
“Heh, you askin’ me out, Vince?”  
  
“Very funny, Leo.”  
  
“I’m not bein’ funny, I’m just askin’ a question.”  
  
Leo laughed as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Vincent rolled his eyes.  
  
“You could just say ‘no’, Leo. It’s not a big-”  
  
“No!” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean it like that, man.”  
  
Vincent chuckled. “Sure. So?”  
  
“Huh? Oh! Yeah! Yeah, I’d like that.”  
  
Vincent looked surprised for a moment, then he smiled up at him. Leo swallowed. Why did his smile have to look like that?  
  
“Um… how’s 7?”  
  
“Yeah, that’s fine.”  
  
There was silence again. Vincent gave Leo a small nod before turning and walking away. Leo felt like he wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn’t find the words. He watched as his friend returned to his car, his wife now in the passenger seat. He stood there and watched him drive away before finally going back inside his home.

* * *

 _The rain was pouring. He was soaked, bloody, and exhausted. He pushed himself up off his stomach and onto his hands and knees. He turned to look at Leo. He was on his hands and knees too, blood dripping from his forehead. They glared at each other. Then, in unison, they both turn their heads forward. Vincent’s eyes land on the gun, sitting on the edge of the building. The two men look back at each other again before they each start to crawl forward.  
  
_ _Vincent pushed his way forward, climbing over wood and barrels, doing everything he could to reach the gun first. His body was shaking, and he could feel his heart thundering in his chest. He could hear Leo grunting in pain, but he refused to look at him. He managed to get up to his feet and push himself forward, close enough to grab the weapon.  
  
_ _He reached forward, not even hesitating to grab it. He whipped around, holding the gun up. He saw himself aim it forward, right for Leo’s chest. He forced himself to not look at Leo’s face, avoiding his eyes. He pulled the trigger.  
  
_ “Vincent!”  
  
His eyes snapped open as he gasped. It took a moment for him to remember that he was in his own bed. He could feel his heart pounding and his forehead was damp with sweat. Taking a deep breath, he whipped his head around to see Carol sitting up in bed, her hair hanging in a mess around her face. Her hand was gripping his shoulder and she had a scared look on her face. Vincent swallowed hard, turning to sit up in bed.  
  
“I… Sorry,” he muttered. “Did I wake you?”  
  
Carol frowned. “You were moaning in your sleep.”  
  
“I guess I was…”  
  
“You were having a nightmare, weren’t you?”  
  
“No, I wasn’t.”  
  
She shook her head. “Vincent, please don’t insult my intelligence. You were moving around in your sleep and you’re as pale as a sheet,” she raised a hand to touch his face. “And you’re sweating, too.”  
  
Suddenly embarrassed, Vincent turned his head away from her. It was bad enough that he was having trouble sleeping, now he had woken his wife with his own nonsense. He wished he could deny it all, but he just couldn’t. What he just saw and felt seemed so real it was scary. What he had done… he had killed Leo! He couldn’t imagine actually doing something like that. He’d never be able to live with himself if he did that. Carol held his face in both her hands, turning his head to look at her.  
  
“Vincent, talk to me,” she spoke softly. “What’s wrong? What have you not been telling me?”  
  
Vincent sighed, leaning back against the headboard. He was truly stuck with no way out now.  
  
“Just one thing. I mean… maybe a few.”  
  
“Is it about Leo?”  
  
He considered how he should answer, and simply nodded. She leaned forward, waiting for more.  
  
“I’m going to tell him tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to tell him everything. I guess… I guess I’m just nervous about it. It’s not a big deal, though.”  
  
“Really? It sure seems like a big deal.”  
  
Vincent glanced up at her. Carol’s brows were furrowed slightly as she stared at him. Her expression didn’t seem angry or suspicious. It seemed sympathetic.  
  
“You like him, don’t you?”  
  
“Of course, I do. He’s my friend.”  
  
“Vincent, you know what I mean.”  
  
He didn’t answer her this time. She didn’t need him to.  
  
“Listen, you said things would be different. You need to trust me and tell me what’s going on with you. Please…”  
  
Vincent stared at her for a moment. The look on her face was firm, but very concerned. She wasn’t upset with him. She was determined to find out what was wrong. He hesitated for a moment before raising a hand to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.  
  
“You know I love you more than anything…”  
  
“I know you do.”  
  
“But… But I-”  
  
“Vincent, your happiness means just as much to me as mine does to you,” she grinned. “I know we haven’t spoken about it in years, or about you… but you know that I’m okay with it. My mind hasn’t changed since. Just tell me.”  
  
He sat there, staring at her for a moment. He thought about what he wanted to say to her and what he should say to her. She was right. He had to be honest with her. No more secrets, no more lies. He sighed, lowering his hand as he looked down.  
  
“Yeah… I do.”  
  
Carol grasped his hand with both of her own, looking pleased. Vincent gulped and opened his mouth to say more. At that moment they each heard a loud cry from down the hallway. Julie was awake again. Carol turned and was about to get up, but Vincent held her back.  
  
“No, I’ll get it,” he held her arms. “We’ll talk in the morning, I promise.”  
  
She smiled and nodded. Vincent leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss. They lingered there for a moment before he pulled away. He stood up and made his way to Julie’s nursery.


	5. Recollection: Part 1

Ch. 5  
Recollection: Part 1

 

Leo almost didn’t believe it when he woke up in his own bed the next morning. It was so soft and nice it almost felt like a dream. The only thing that could make it better? Seeing Linda sleeping beside him, her arms wrapped around him. She had been practically attached to him since he had come home, and that had lasted well into the night. He smirked as he looked to see her wearing nothing but his own gray T-shirt. It had been so long since they had been with each other, and he wasted no time in fixing that the night before.  
  
He slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake her up. He quickly got dressed in pants and a tank top. He went to check on Alex, finding him to be fast asleep as well, before going over to the fridge. Linda had managed to snag two jobs as a waitress for two different diners over the last few months. It was enough to afford this place and pick up groceries. That was about it though. He saw eggs, lunch meat, bread, cheese, cereal and milk. One of them needed to go to the store soon.  
  
Not sure what else to eat, Leo decided to make himself some eggs. He didn’t mind eating alone right now. It gave him some time to bask in his new home. He felt bad that Linda and Alex had to leave their old house while he was inside. It was tough, but necessary. None of that mattered now though. Harvey was gone and they were together. They could handle anything after this.  
  
He sat down at the small table with his breakfast and ate quietly. Halfway through eating he heard footsteps from behind him. He turned in his seat and saw Linda standing in the kitchen, now wearing blue pajama shorts under his T-shirt. He smiled at her before continuing to eat his small breakfast. A few minutes later he heard footsteps before he felt her hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Hey baby,” she said as she sat across from him. “How’re you feeling?”  
  
“Pretty damn good.”  
  
“Sorry there’s no coffee, I haven’t had a chance to go to the store.”  
  
“No, babe, don’t worry about. This is fine.”  
  
The next few minutes are spent in silence as they ate their breakfast. Linda had only taken a few bites however, when she suddenly set her fork down. Leo looked up at her. She never usually stopped eating to talk unless it was something serious or important.  
  
“Leo, can I ask you something?”  
  
“Yeah, sure.”  
  
Leo continued eating, waiting for her to speak. Linda leaned over to stare at the other end of the trailer, probably looking to see if Alex was awake. She leaned over the table and spoke softly.  
  
“I wanna talk about Vincent.”  
  
Leo stopped halfway through taking another bite of egg. He slowly set his fork down and folded his arms over the table.  
  
“Okay. What’s up?”  
  
Linda raised an eyebrow. “I was thinking you could tell me that.”  
  
“What are you talkin’ about?”  
  
“I’m talking about what I’ve been asking you since you first brought him here over a week ago.”  
  
“Wha- Oh…”  
  
Leo suddenly realized what she was talking about, and his face suddenly felt hot. He looked down at the table, wondering what he should say. Linda reached over to grab his wrist.  
  
“Baby, come on. You don’t need to be embarrassed in front of me.”  
  
“I’m not embarrassed,” he retorted. “I’ve got nothin’ to be embarrassed about.”  
  
“Exactly,” she said. “So, talk to me about it. I mean, it’s not like it’s the first time either of us have been with other people.”  
  
“I- I’m not-”  
  
“Leo, you’re literally going out to get drinks with him tonight. That’s practically a date.”  
  
Leo could feel his face heating up even more, and he really hoped he wasn’t turning red. That was crazy! Sure, he joked with Vincent about it being a date, but it wasn’t really a date. Right? He kept his mouth shut, too worried about saying something stupid. Linda squeezed his arm gently.  
  
“Is it because he’s a guy?”  
  
“Linda…”  
  
“There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just, I had no idea that you were-”  
  
“I’m not!”  
  
Linda flinched, surprised by his yell. Leo felt instant regret and hung his head.  
  
“I mean… Well, I’m not,” he said calmly. “I’ve never… I’ve never been into guys. Ever. Trust me, if I was, you’d be the first to know. But… I’m not into men.”  
  
“But, you’re into Vincent.”  
  
Leo didn’t respond. He kept his eyes down and his mouth shut. He was just so confused. He had never been attracted to men before. So, why was he attracted to Vincent? Sure, he was damn good-looking, even for his age. But, what was it about him that made Leo think of him in that way? He had been thinking about it for well over a month now and he still didn’t have a clear answer.  
  
“Baby… talk to me.”  
  
He raised his head to look up at her. Her expression wasn’t confused or disgusted, like he feared it would be. It was patient and concerned. He felt his shoulders relax once more. He gulped loudly as he reached up and grasped her hand in his.  
  
“Alright… fine.”

* * *

 

Vincent loved having black coffee in the morning. It was one of the simplest things he had missed while undercover. Carol was the last one to take care of Julie the previous night, so he got out of bed first to make some coffee. The pot was full by the time she had gotten up.  
  
“Morning,” he said as she walked into the kitchen.  
  
“Morning,” she yawned as she sat down at the kitchen table. “Julie is still sleeping. We probably have another hour before she’s awake.”  
  
“That’s good.”  
  
Vincent reached up in the cupboard and pulled out two coffee mugs. He left one mug black, and one with cream. Just how Carol liked it. He walked over and handed her the mug.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“Did you want something to eat?”  
  
“I’ll make some toast.”  
  
Carol took a gulp of her coffee before walking over to the counter. Vincent sat down with his mug, watching her put bread in the toaster.  
  
“Do you have to go into work today?”  
  
“Tomorrow. I have to turn in my report and fill out my resignation.”  
  
She nodded. A few minutes later she brought some toast over for both of them. She took a piece for herself, Vincent stuck to his coffee for now.  
  
“Do you feel like talking about it now?” Carol asked.  
  
“Did you want to talk about it now?” he asked.  
  
She paused for a moment. “Yeah, I think so.”  
  
“Okay then.”  
  
Carol took another sip from her mug before setting it on the table. She folded her arms and leaned over the table.  
  
“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” she suggested. “When did you realize you had feelings for him?”  
  
Vincent paused to think about it. He remembered the first time he ever saw Leo. He was nothing more than a suspect in his investigation back then. He remembered the first time he truly met Leo. Just a major key to completing his mission. He thought about the first time they had a real conversation, back in the infirmary. It was the first time that Vincent saw Leo as another person rather than a subject in the middle of his investigation. He had grown to like him, little by little, after that. Or, at least, respect him enough to deal with his erratic behavior and over-the-top puns. Somewhere, in the middle of their scheming, he had gained a sort of connection with the man that he could never see coming. When he went into prison, he was a cop on a mission. When he got out, he was just a man on the run with a friend- who he had an obvious crush on. Well, obvious to himself, at least.  
  
“I don’t think I really knew it right away,” he explained. “Not even when it happened. I just realized that he was kind of good-looking at one point, and everything felt different after that…”  
  
 _“Hand me another sheet.”  
  
_ _Vincent quickly took another sheet out of the laundry cart, bringing it over to Leo. He held it up, and Leo took it, pushing it through the slot above him. He released himself and leapt back down onto the floor.  
  
_ _“Alright, that should be good,” he said. “Let’s get back before anyone sees we’re gone.”  
  
_ _“Right.”  
  
_ _They both turned and started to make their way out of the room. Just as they were about to cross over to the door there was footsteps from the other side of the room. Vincent had time to see a guard heading towards them before he was pulled by the collar back into the room.  
  
_ _“Shit, get down!” Leo hissed.  
  
_ _He pulled Vincent down behind the wall into the sheet room. He slid onto the ground, leaning against the wall. Leo stood behind him, looking very on edge. Vincent carefully leaned his head over to look around the corner to try to see the guard. Just as he was about to come around the corner, Vincent felt himself being pulled back and pushed against the wall. He grunted then opened his eyes. He saw Leo, mere inches away from him, one hand pinning him to the wall, and the other pressed on the wall next to his head.  
  
_ _“Don’t move,” he whispered.  
  
_ _Leo wasn’t looking at Vincent. He had his head poking out just a little bit, keeping his eyes on the guard. But Vincent was suddenly much less concerned about the guard and more concerned with the fact that Leo was so intimately close to him. He didn’t understand why he was so stunned. Was it because he had never gotten this close to Leo before? With nothing else to do but sit there, Vincent’s eyes rose up to look at Leo’s face. His expression was intense, and his eyes were focused elsewhere. Vincent realized about three seconds too late that he was staring. He gulped as he was hit with a sudden realization.  
  
_ _Leo is actually… kind of handsome. Had he not noticed before?  
  
_ _The guard’s footsteps grew louder and louder as he slowly made is way towards him. Leo’s face scrunched up and he gripped Vincent’s shoulder a little tighter. Vincent didn’t have the voice to say anything about it, even if the situation wasn’t so serious. At that moment he heard another set of footsteps and a second guards’ voice rang out.  
  
_ _“Hey, Max, you up for a lunch break? They got sandwiches in the breakroom.”  
  
_ _“Hell yeah, I’m starving!”  
  
_ _Vincent heard the two guards walk further and further away. Neither of them dared to move until they heard the door shut again. Leo sighed with relief, his grip on Vincent loosening a little.  
  
_ _“Shit, that was close.”  
  
_ _“Uh… Leo…”  
  
_ _Leo finally turned his head to look at Vincent. His eyes suddenly widened, and his mouth opened slightly in surprised. He seemed to finally realize just how close he was to the other man, and he seemed even closer now that they were facing each other. They both sat there and stared at each other, both apparently too shocked to move. After about ten seconds, Leo finally let go of Vincent and stepped back from him. Vincent cleared his throat as he got to his feet.  
  
_ _“S-sorry,” Leo muttered.  
  
_ _“It’s fine.”  
  
_ _“I… I just panicked.”  
  
_ _“It’s okay, man.”  
  
_ _Vincent straightened up, brushing dirt off his pants. Leo rubbed the back of his neck, looking embarrassed. Without another word, both men made it safely out of the laundry room._

* * *

“You get so embarrassed around him,” Linda teased.  
  
Leo shook his head. “I wasn’t embarrassed, I was just… confused.”  
  
“Yeah, clearly. So?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Leo, you can’t tell me that literally nothing happened between you two since then.”  
  
“Geez, you’re a nightmare…”  
  
She smirked. “Hey, you married me. Deal with it.”  
  
She laughed a little. Leo rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the small smile on his face. The fact that she was acting so cool and casual about this was kind of comforting to him.  
  
“So, anything else happen in prison?” she asked.  
  
“Not in prison…”  
  
 _“…He killed my brother as a warning. After that I lost it. I planned on killing him, but the son of a bitch pinned it all on me,” Vincent fists clenched. “I was convicted for the murder of my own brother…”  
  
_ _Leo gaped at him. “Woah… that’s fuckin’ rough, man.”  
  
_ _“Yeah.”  
  
_ _“I’m… I’m really sorry.”  
  
_ _Vincent shook his head. “Don’t be. He’s gonna be sorry when we find him.”  
  
_ _Leo nodded. He was honestly stunned by what he heard. He knew Harvey was a mean motherfucker. There wasn’t much that he wouldn’t do to get what he wanted. But he never knew that he did something like this. When did it even happen? Probably while he was inside. He clenched his fists slightly, and he felt his right arm sting for a moment. He unconsciously reached over to touch his forearm, his fingers going over the cloth tied around the dog bite.  
  
_ _“How’s your arm?”  
  
_ _Leo looked up. Vincent’s eyes had softened, and he was looking at him with curiosity and concern. Leo swallowed hard, glancing away from him.  
  
_ _“It’s fine. No big deal.”  
  
_ _“Good.”  
  
_ _Leo nodded, not saying anything. The last thing he needed was Vincent looking at him like that. Ever since the day in the laundry room, he had been unable to look the other man in the eye for more than five seconds. He felt weird looking at him for too long. Not wrong or bad or anything. Just… different. He could still remember, clear as day, how he had felt seeing Vincent less than a foot away from him. How the back of his neck felt hot and his throat became dry. How his pulse had quickened just enough for him to noticed. And how Vincent had just stared up at him with wide surprise. Not anger or disgust, just surprise. He had stared at him long enough for Leo to realize that his eyes were actually hazel, not brown as he had thought.  
  
_ _Leo had a pretty good idea of what he was feeling meant… and it scared him.  
  
_ _“It’s getting late.”  
  
_ _Leo looked up to see Vincent looking off in the distance. He turned his head. The sun was slowly staring to lower over the horizon. The sky was starting to turn from blue to purple and the air felt slightly cooler than before.  
  
_ _“We could stay here for the night,” Vincent suggested. “And we’ll keep moving in the morning.”  
  
_ _“Yeah, okay,” Leo nodded. “Should we take shifts? Incase cops show up?”  
  
_ _“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I could take the first shift if you want?”  
  
_ _“Sure, whatever.”  
  
_ _Leo stood up from his log and slowly slid onto the ground. It wasn’t comfortable, but it was better than sleeping on rocks. He turned onto his side, so he was facing the fire, placing his arm under his head. He stared into the flames for a moment as his eyes slowly closed.  
  
_ _Vincent was up for a few hours after that, long after the sun had set. Thankfully, it wasn’t raining this time. The sky was clear and scattered with stars, the moon now high in the sky. Crickets were chirping in the trees. He kept his eyes peeled and listened for any signs that they were no longer alone here. But, he might as well not have kept watch at all. They were the only ones out here.  
  
_ _Towards the end of his shift, Vincent could feel his hunger start to kick in again. That fish he had eaten earlier was small, not nearly enough to satisfy him. But, it would tie him over until they could find something better. It was pretty disgusting though. He could agree with Leo on that much. Just because he didn’t whine about it didn’t mean he didn’t hate it. Speaking of Leo, he had fallen asleep quickly once Vincent had offered to take the first shift. It didn’t surprise him. They had both been under a lot of stress over the last couple of weeks, and even more over the last few hours. He probably could have dropped to sleep right then and there if he wasn’t keeping watch.  
  
_ _He glanced up across the fire to look over at Leo. He was laying on his back, his arm tucked behind his head. He was a little surprised. His snoring was heavy and loud enough to hear over the crackling of the fire, but not nearly as loud as he thought it would be. He looked oddly peaceful sleeping. Vincent had never seen him this relaxed before. It wasn’t until ten seconds had gone by that he realized that he was staring at Leo’s face. He quickly turned away, as though afraid he would be caught. He tried to pretend that the warmth in his face was from the fire. He really did.  
  
_ _Vincent shook his head. He couldn’t afford to let this happen now, and it happened anyway. Why now? Why of all people did it have to be Leo? Vincent had known he was bisexual since he was a young boy. This wasn’t the first time he had found himself attracted to another man, but it was definitely the most complicated time for it to happen. He was undercover for Christ’s sake. He was here for a very important reason, and he couldn’t afford to fuck it up. He couldn’t afford to let anything distract him.  
  
_ _He stared into the fire, poking the embers with a stick. He was hoping he could distract himself until it was his turn to sleep. But his mind continued to wander around in other places. He dared to steal another glance at Leo, trying to convince himself that he was just checking to see if he was awake. He stared for a few moments, his eyes gazing over his features. He really was handsome. But, it was more than just his looks he liked. Though it was a minor annoyance, Leo’s sass and puns were actually funny. Vincent had never been a very humorous person, and it took a lot to make him laugh. And, despite his tough, macho demeanor, Leo was a kind person when he wanted to be. And he was very straightforward and determined. If he wanted to do something, he was going to do it. So, the fact that he had listen to some of Vincent’s suggestions said a lot about how much he trusted him already. Hell, he’s trustful enough to sleep while Vincent kept watch. And, even though Vincent was harsh and stoic toward him, Leo hasn’t once gotten tired and tried to go on without him. He has chosen to stick by him until the end.  
  
_ _Vincent snapped back into reality and shook his head. What was he doing, thinking about these things? None of it would matter once this was over. Once Harvey was dead and he had the diamond, Leo would go back to prison. Probably for a lot longer this time. And, undoubtedly, he would hate Vincent’s guts once he found out who he really is. Whatever he was feeling held no other purpose than to distract him from his mission. He would just have to get over it when it was over.  
  
_ _But, until then… he could just continue to admire from a far. He’s never been one to let a good opportunity pass._

* * *

“Was it hard?” Carol asked. “Keeping it all a secret?”  
  
Vincent shook his head. “My identity was easy to hide, I just tried not to talk about it too much. I didn’t want to risk changing something I already told him.”  
  
“What about everything else?”  
  
“That… was easier at first,” he admitted.  
  
“At first?”  
  
“I couldn’t exactly avoid him or anything, I just tried not to think about it. But, things were just out of my control sometimes.”  
  
 _“Freedom for all, am I right?”  
  
_ _Leo walked over to first stall that had a tall, brown horse standing in it. It huffed at him, tapping its hoof on the ground. He carefully reached his hand out, checking to see if it was too irritated. It sniffed his hand slightly. He grabbed the door and quickly slid it open. The horse sniffed the ground for a moment before stepping out. Leo turned and opened the doors for the other two horses. They each stepped out, nosing the hay on the ground.  
  
_ _“C’mon, get movin’!” he said, patting one of the horses’ back.  
  
_ _“We gotta get the doors open first, Leo,” said Vincent.  
  
_ _He walked over to the large barn doors, grabbing the wood and pulling it out of the slot. He brushed dirt of his hands as he walked over to stand next to Leo.  
  
_ _“How do we get them to leave?”  
  
_ _“There’s gotta be a way to spook them.”  
  
_ _Leo walked up to one of the horses that was still pretty close to its own stall. He raised a hand to pat its back, and it neighed loudly. Leo backed up quickly, and suddenly the was a loud banging sound. He had knocked over a metal bucket.  
  
_ _"_ _Leo, watch it-!”  
  
_ _The horse neighed loudly, rearing up on its back legs. Leo backed up quickly to avoid getting trampled, and he backed up into Vincent. Before he could stop himself, they each fell backwards, falling and tumbling in the hay. He felt something heavy land on top of him. He could hear the other horses neighing and the sound of trampling hooves. He moaned in pain, clutching the back of his head.  
  
_ _“Shit…! You okay?” he groaned.  
  
_ _“Yeah… you?”  
  
_ _“Fine.”  
  
_ _Leo propped himself up on his arms, shaking hay from his hair and face. He tried to sit up more when he realized there was a heavy weight on his legs. He opened his eyes and he felt his jaw drop. Vincent was sitting on top of him, practically straddling his legs. He was leaning over Leo slightly, one hand on the ground and the other on his head. Leo stopped breathing for a moment, his pulse suddenly faster than usual. He knew that he should try to move, but he had a conflicting desire to stay right where he was. Why was he not mad about this? Did he… like this?  
  
_ _Vincent was still brushing hay out of his hair, and apparently hadn’t noticed anything yet. Leo wanted to move away quickly to avoid any awkwardness, but he was trapped underneath him. Rubbing the back of his head, Vincent finally opened his eyes and looked down at him. His eyes widened and Leo could feel him stiffen where he was. He looked terrified, like he had been caught doing something wrong, and his face had started to turn red. Leo wanted to say something, anything, but his mouth moved without any sound. He was too nervous to try to move now.  
  
_ _Vincent gasped. “The horses!”  
  
_ _He suddenly sprang to his feet, stepping away from Leo. He stayed on the ground, watching his friend run out of the stall and over to the barn doors. Leo groaned, slowly getting to his feet. He brushed hay off his pants as he went over to the doors. Vincent was peeking through the doors, and Leo looked out to see the old couple running out into the trees.  
  
_ _“See?” said Vincent. “I told you it would work.”  
  
_ _“Yeah, yeah.”  
  
_ _Vincent turned to look back at him. He looked calm again, though his face still looked a little flushed. Leo couldn’t blame him. He felt a little warm himself.  
  
_ _“Come on, let’s go.”  
  
_ _Vincent ran out of the barn, and Leo followed close behind him. He couldn’t help but stare at the other man as they ran over to the farmhouse. He was finding it harder and harder to deny that Vincent was damn good to look at._


	6. Recollection: Part 2

Ch. 6

Recollection: Part 2

 

“I can’t believe you got yourself into multiple police chases,” Carol said irritably. “You both could’ve been killed then and there.”  
  
“But we didn’t.”  
  
She gave Vincent a cold stare, and he cleared his throat. He didn’t want to get on her nerves while talking about this. She was already on edge just hearing about all the dangerous stuff that happened while he was undercover. She wasn’t exactly happy with all of the things he did, especially the chase at the hospital. But, when it came to the main focus of the conversation- Leo- she seemed not only happy, but thoroughly interested.  
  
“Do you want more coffee?”  
  
Vincent looked down to see that his mug was already empty. He nodded. Carol stood up with both of their empty mugs and walked over to the coffee pot.  
  
“I’m surprised you two survived for so long without getting caught,” she said as she refilled her mug. “You were out for what? A week?”  
  
“Almost two weeks,” said Vincent. “It wasn’t easy.”  
  
“I can’t imagine it would be. But, still…”  
  
He shrugged. “Honestly, we were just kind of winging it. I mean, most of it was just luck.”  
  
She chuckled. “You don’t believe in luck.”  
  
“I didn’t think I did either,” he said honestly. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t.”  
  
Carol placed his mug in front of him. He took a sip of his coffee as she sat back down in front of him.  
  
“I think you both were just clever enough to figure it out on your own,” she told him.  
  
“I guess I was lucky Leo was helpful when he could be,” said Vincent. “He… really had my back sometimes.”  
  
 _The rapids were too fast, and the boat was too damaged. The path of rocks they had passed was too much for the old thing. Vincent lurched forward as they hit another pile of rocks. He saw Leo leap out of the boat and onto the ground beside them. He was about to jump after him, but the boat rocked too hard and he fell onto his side. The next thing he knew, he was being tossed out of boat and barley able to grab onto the side. He was hanging by his arms, his feel dangling over the edge.  
  
_ _“Leo!”  
  
_ _“I’m coming Vincent!”  
  
_ _Vincent lifted his head to see Leo running over to the edge of the water, holding his arm out to him. He started to move to the side, keeping his grip on the wood tight. He was completely soaked now and didn’t want to slip. He moved further and further to the side until finally, he was close enough to reach Leo. He released one of his hands and reached up to grasp the other man’s hand. But just as he did, the bit of boat holding him up snapped, and the boat started to fall. Vincent’s heart seemed to stop as he fell, and suddenly the boat stopped again on another pile of rocks. He glanced down and got a disturbing view of the water below, large rocks sitting at the bottom.  
  
_ _“Vincent! Hold on!”  
  
_ _Leo ran down to the next cliff, leaning over even further with his hand held out. Carefully, Vincent pulled himself up and started to climb up the boat. Every step he took he could feel the boat bend under his weight. His foot slipped as the wood of the seats fell off. He could feel his heart racing and adrenaline pumping thoroughly. He climbed up until he was high enough to reach Leo. He pressed his foot against the boat, and with as much force as he could muster, pushed himself upward. He raised his arm up, outstretched for Leo’s hand. He felt his chest collide with the rock painfully, but he didn’t fall. Leo didn’t hesitate to grab him with both hands and hoist him up over the edge.  
  
_ _Vincent crawled up until he was completely back on the ground, sitting on his hands and knees. He rolled over and fell onto his back, his chest rising and falling as he panted. He could hear Leo gasping beside him, clearly just as moved by what happened as he was. His heart was still beating wildly, and his blood was pumping. The thrill- for lack of a better word- of escaping death so closely had his whole body overly excited.  
  
_ _Still gasping, he turned his head to look at Leo, and found the other man looking right back at him. He was soaked from head to toe as well. His eyes were wide, he looked scared and relieved at the same time.  
  
_ _“You…okay?” he breathed.  
  
_ _Vincent took a deep breath. “I’m okay.”  
  
_ _They stared at each other for a moment, catching their breath. Then, Leo smiled. Then he started to laugh. Vincent stared. This laugh was different from the small chuckles he had heard from Leo so far. It was loud, bright, and full of incredulous joy. Like he was beside himself. Hearing such a happy sound come from him caused his breath to get caught in his throat, and he was sure his heart started to pick up again.  
  
_ _He couldn’t blame him for being happy. The thrill of surviving something out of their control was certainly something to be happy about. The longer he watched and listened to the other man’s laugh, he found himself unable to contain himself. His mouth split into a wide grin, and suddenly he was laughing too. His usually deep, gravelly voice now just as high and loud as Leo’s. He closed his eyes and laid his head back, not even trying to contain himself.  
  
_ _The two men sat there, laughing for a moment. Vincent heard Leo slowly stop laughing before he did. His own laughed faded into a low chuckle, nearly straining his throat. Still smiling, he took a deep breath as he opened his eyes. He turned his head to look at Leo and found him staring back at him again. His mouth was opened slightly, and he was gazing at him with wide eyes. Vincent gulped.  
  
_ _“What?” he asked.  
  
_ _“I,” Leo closed his mouth. “I haven’t heard you laugh like that before.”"  
  
_ _Vincent shrugged. “I haven’t had a reason to.”  
  
_ _Leo didn’t respond. The two men continued to stare at each other. Vincent knew he should move before things got uncomfortable but found himself drawn to Leo’s gaze. So did he, it seemed. Leo's mouth was curled in a small smile, an oddly content expression on his face. His eyes suddenly glanced upward at the sky, and he sat up."  
  
_ _“We should keep moving,” he said. “Before they find us.”  
  
_ _“You’re right.”  
  
_ _Vincent sat up and pushed himself onto his feet. He watched as Leo stood up, stretching his back out. Vincent stared at him a little longer than he should have and didn’t bother looking away when Leo turned to look at him. Leo’s face turned slightly red as he pointed out into the trees.  
  
_ _“Come on, I think this way is fine.”  
  
_ _“Alright.”_  

* * *

“You know, I could tell something was up when you got here.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“The way you two were talking, and when you were together with Alex,” Linda explained. “You were pretty comfortable with each other. It usually takes a while for you to like someone.”  
  
“Can you blame me?” Leo asked. “We can’t really afford to trust anyone these days.”  
  
“You trusted him.”  
  
Leo rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I had a choice.”  
  
“You could’ve ditched him at any point.”  
  
“I couldn’t afford to. I needed his help.”  
  
“You’ve worked alone before.”  
  
Leo shook his head. Though it had now been established between them that there was something going on between him and Vincent, he didn’t want it to seem like he was only working with him because of it. They each had a vendetta against Harvey, and they each carried out their revenge together. The fact that they developed feelings for each other along the way was just coincidence.  
  
“I wasn’t _that_ obvious,” he retorted.  
  
Linda chuckled. “Oh, please. If you weren’t staring at me you were staring at him. You’re so easy to read.”  
  
 _“Yay! I scored!”  
_ _  
Leo beamed at his boy as he set him down on the ground. He jumped up, waving his fists in the air. He turned around to grin at both of them.  
  
_ _“Did you guys see that?”  
  
_ _"You’re good, Alex,” Vincent said, grinning. “Really good.”  
  
_ _“You think?”  
  
_ _“Yeah! You should become a real pro!”  
  
_ _“Really?”  
  
_ _Leo grinned up at Vincent. He was glad that his friend was willing to play a game with him and his kid. That had been more than enough. But the praise and kindness he was giving so willingly made his chest swell. He was glad that Alex seemed to like him as well. He glanced over at the gate entrance, and he saw Linda standing on the other side. She smiled at him, arms folded, waiting.  
  
_ _“I’ll be right back,” he said.  
  
_ _Vincent nodded. “Yeah, okay.”  
  
_ _He continued talk with Alex as Leo walked away. He opened the gate, reaching out for his wife.  
  
_ _“Hey, beautiful.”  
  
_ _“Hey,” she said. “Would you look at that? You guys seem to be getting along alright.”  
  
_ _Leo nodded. “We are, but I need to get goin’ soon.”  
  
_ _“Yeah, I know,” Linda turned to smile at Alex. “I’m just happy to see him smile again.”  
  
_ _Leo turned in the direction she was looking. Vincent and Alex had started running around the court with the ball again. Vincent smiled as he passed the ball to Alex, who ran over and tried to score a point.  
  
_ _Yeah, me too.”  
  
_ _“C’mon, let’s talk.”  
  
_ _They each slowly made their way towards the trailer. Leo felt terrible about his family having to move out of their home and into this place. He and Linda had lived in worse places, but he didn’t want to have to put Alex through anything like this. He promised himself when his son was born that he would do everything he could to give him a better life than he had growing up. It would be much easier once Harvey was dead.  
  
_ _“Linda, any idea where Ray is?”  
  
_ _“Ray?” she spat. “What do you want with that asshole?”  
  
_ _“I need to find him. I’m sure he knows where Harvey’s hidin’,” Leo explained. “Have you seen him lately?”  
  
_ _She nodded. “Yeah, he’s working at that new construction site, downtown.”  
  
_ _“Okay, good,” Leo walked forward and placed a hand on Linda’s shoulder. “I need you to be ready to leave the country as soon as I’m back.”  
  
_ _“Don’t worry about that, I’ll take care of it. You just make sure to get back safe, ‘kay?”  
  
_ _“Yeah.”  
  
_ _“No, don’t just ‘yeah’ me,” she shoved his arm slightly. “Get back safe or I’ll kick your ass.”  
  
_ _Leo smirked. “Okay, I promise.”  
  
_ _She still looked worried, but she gave him a satisfied smile.  
  
_ _“By the way, you still have that piece?”  
  
_ _“I do. Wait…”  
  
_ _Linda walked over towards one of the cabinets and opened it. She rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a large pistol.  
  
_ _“Here you go.”  
  
_ _She carried it over to Leo, who took it and placed it in his back pocket. He turned to look at Linda, and she had her arms folded, a concerned expression still etched on her face. He reached up and cupped her face in both of his hands, looking into her eyes.  
  
_ _“I love you.”  
  
_ _She reached up to grab his wrists. “I love you, too.”  
  
_ _He leaned forward and kissed her softly. God, it felt like it had been forever since he had kissed her. He missed her so fucking bad. He stayed there for several seconds before pulling away. She looked breathless for a moment before she smiled up at him. He missed seeing her smile.  
  
_ _They each heard voices outside of the front door. Leo turned to look out the small window in the door and saw Vincent and Alex both walking in front of the house. Vincent was saying something to Alex as the kid bounced the ball on the ground. He must have been giving more praise for his skills, because whatever he had said made Alex beam with pride. Leo couldn’t help but stare a little longer at Vincent’s smile. It did things to him that he thought only Linda’s smile could do. Said woman walked towards the door, staring out the window.  
  
_ _“So, tell me,” she turned around to smirk at Leo. “What’s up with you two?”  
  
_ _Leo blinked. “What do you mean?”  
  
_ _“Well… it’s not everyday you bring over someone new or let them play with our son. You’re not usually that trusting.”  
  
_ _He swallowed hard. He realized now that it might seem odd that he trusted Vincent so much after such a short period. But, he really didn’t have an explanation. There was something about the other man- something between them- that compelled him to trust him.  
  
_ _“So, what is going on between you two?”  
  
_ _Leo snapped his head at her. The tone in her voice and the look on her face was curious. And teasing. He suddenly realized what she was hinting at, and his face went hot.  
  
_ _“Nothin’,” he said shortly. “I’m not like that, babe. You know that.”  
  
_ _“We’ve been with other people before, Leo. You don’t need to be embarrassed about it now.”  
  
_ _“It’s not like that!”  
  
_ _She raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright.”  
  
_ _Leo frowned at her. He could tell that she didn’t believe him, but as long as she wasn’t giving him a hard time about it then that was enough for him. Still smirking, she lowered her arms and turned to look out of the little window. Leo looked out to see Vincent and Alex still talking. Vincent was kneeling down, holding the basketball. He was gesturing from the ball and back to Alex, probably giving some sort of advice. He glanced over at Linda, and she was grinning.  
  
_ _“I think he’s nice,” she said. “And Alex seems to like him.”_

* * *

"His family sounds very nice,” said Carol.  
  
Vincent nodded. “They’re good people.”  
  
“Vincent?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
She tapped her finger on the edge of her mug. “Did you ever… feel guilty about lying to him?”  
  
Vincent didn’t respond at first. Guilt was something he felt long before Leo had been arrested and after. He became conscious of it around the time they had escaped in the canoe, when Leo had saved him from the waterfall. It was when he started to see Leo as a friend as well as his comrade. And the realization that he would have to arrest his friend- who practically trusted him with his life- nearly wrecked him with guilt.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Carol’s voice made Vincent look up. “That was a stupid question. I didn’t mean to- Of course you were, I didn’t-”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” he assured her. “But… yeah, I did. Pretty early on, actually.”  
  
“Did you ever think about trying to help him before?”  
  
“Not until we were on our way home.”  
  
“Do you think he would’ve gone nuts if he found out when he was arrested?”  
  
Vincent huffed. “Of course, he would’ve. He probably would’ve killed me if he had found out then.”  
  
 _“Hello baby! Aren’t you badass!”  
  
_ _Vincent smirked a little as Leo picked up the AK. He looked down at the shotgun in his own hands. It was definitely the gun he was more comfortable with. He looked around, seeing if there was a spot that they could practice shooting. They could use the empty buildings in the area. As he turned, he noticed that there was a pile of glass bottles sitting beside the wall.  
  
_ _“Hey Leo, there’s some bottles over here,” he called out. “Let’s practice a bit.”  
  
_ _“Alright!”  
  
_ _Vincent strapped the shotgun to his shoulder and picked up a bottle. Leo walked up to stand a few feet away from him, holding his gun in the air. Vincent raised the bottle up and tossed it high into the air. Leo shot it pointblank in midair.  
  
_ _“Nice!”  
  
_ _“What can I say? I’m a natural.”  
  
_ _Vincent spent the next few minutes tossing bottles up for Leo to shoot. Every time he shot them out of the sky his smirk got bigger and bigger. Vincent figured his friend was good with a gun, but he was even better than he expected. Hopefully he would be just as good once they got to Harvey. There would certainly be more than a few moving targets.  
  
_ _“Not bad,” he commented as he set the bottle down.  
  
_ _“Thanks!” he strapped the AK to his back. “Your turn, c’mon.”  
  
_ _Vincent grabbed his shotgun and got into position. Leo bent over and picked up a bottle, holding it up. Vincent aimed his weapon up as a bottle went through the air and shot. The bottle exploded in the air.  
  
_ _“Nice one!” said Leo.  
  
_ _“Thank you.”  
  
_ _Leo threw three more bottles into the air, and Vincent shot each of them with ease. Each time Leo praised him for his skill he felt a small amount of pride the swell in his chest.  
  
_ _“You shoot a lot, Vincent?” Leo asked casually.  
  
_ _“Not as much as I used to.”  
  
_ _It wasn’t a total lie. Until the Harvey case came up, Vincent hadn’t needed to use his gun on duty in quite some time. He still practiced with it when he was off duty. But he hadn’t had access to a gun in nearly two months now. Shooting was a perishable skill, and one could lose their ability very quickly without practice.  
  
_ _“Who taught you? Your uncle?”  
  
_ _“Actually, my dad taught me the most,” he answered. “One of the few things we got to do together.”  
  
_ _"Nice,” Leo turned. “Still, you’re pretty good for a banker.”  
  
_ _Vincent’s eyes widened slightly._ Shit! _He had been so focused on everything else that that had completely slipped his mind. He was supposed to be posing as a banker that was dragged into a world of crime. Even if it was true that he was taught how to shoot, he shouldn’t be as good of a shot as he is. It wouldn’t make sense.  
  
_ _“You ready?”  
  
_ _“Yeah.”  
  
_ _Leo tossed the bottle and Vincent watched it fly through the air. He made a split-second decision and aimed slightly higher than he needed to. He pulled the trigger and missed the bottle. He let out a convincing groan of disappointment and glanced over at Leo, who looked surprised.  
  
_ _“What happened?” he asked.  
  
_ _Vincent shook his head. “My hand just slipped I think.”  
  
_ _He nodded. He threw two more bottles, and Vincent shot one of them. He could see Leo frowning out the corner of his eye. Leo threw about five more bottles into the air, and Vincent shot three of them. He wanted to be convincing, but not so convincing that Leo would think he couldn’t handle a gun.  
  
_ _“Guess I’m out of practice,” he said, trying to sound disappointed.  
  
_ _Leo didn’t say anything for a moment. Vincent looked away from him, pretending to examine his gun. He heard his footsteps as he walked away and the clinking of glass bottles. He looked up after a moment, and he could see Leo setting bottles along the edge of a far wall. He raised his eyebrows as Leo turned and gestured for him to come over.  
  
_ _“Come on,” he said.  
  
_ _Vincent frowned slightly as he walked over to stand next to Leo. He raised his hand and pointed at the bottles.  
  
_ _“Shoot the one on the far right.”  
  
_ _Vincent looked from him to the bottles, slightly surprised. But, he said nothing and aimed his gun at the bottles. He aimed for the one on the far right, fired, and shot it. He cast a sideways glance to see if Leo’s expression had changed, but he seemed focused on something else. He stepped closer towards Vincent, who gulped nervously.  
  
_ _“Try the next one."  
  
_ _Vincent fired without even thinking and missed the next bottle. He cursed himself. He was so distracted by Leo and trying to keep him unsuspicious that he ended up truly missing this time. He gulped and took another shot but missed that one as well. What was wrong with him?  
  
_ _“You need to keep your hands steady.”  
  
_ _Vincent’s nerves were struck. It was almost comical that Leo was trying to teach him to shoot. He turned his head and was about to give him a smartass remark, but his words got stuck in his throat as Leo suddenly appeared right next to him. He reached up and placed one hand on the gun, and the other on Vincent’s shoulder. His jaw clenched shut and he kept his eyes forward, forcing himself not to look at Leo anymore.  
  
_ _“Relax, Vince,” he said calmly. “Keep it tucked, make sure your grip is firm. Try again.”  
  
_ _Vincent paused. ‘Vince…’ The only person who had ever used that nickname was his brother, Gary. He used to call him that when they were kids, and still called him that in adulthood. No one else did, though. Not even Carol called him that. It was the first time he had been called that name in almost a year, and it felt… good.  
  
_ _Vincent could feel his heart beating hard in his chest, and for a moment was scared that Leo might be able to somehow feel it. No, he had to stay calm. Just play along, humor him. He gave his head a small shake and kept his gaze forward on the next bottle. He inhaled through his nose and exhaled slowly. He pulled the trigger, and the bottle exploded.  
  
_ _“Nice one!”  
  
_ _“Thanks.”  
  
_ _Vincent grinned. He finally felt calm enough to lower his arms and turn his head to look at Leo. He was still standing beside him, hand still on his shoulder. He was frozen under his gaze, but his grin didn’t fade. They looked at each other for a moment, both apparently lost for words. Leo swallowed loudly and opened his mouth to say something, but Jasmine yelled over at them, stating that she was getting impatient. They looked at each other before taking their guns and returning to the car._


	7. Heat of the Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to anyone reading this. I just wanna say thanks for the support and love I've gotten for this story, it means a lot. And thanks to those who have left kind comments, you make me wanna write more.
> 
> I hope you continue to enjoy this story. Next chapter should be here sooner than usual, I think.
> 
> Later!

Ch. 7  
Heat of the Moment

 

Vincent stood in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His hair had been neatly combed, and it all stuck to one side. He frowned, thinking it looked too neat, and raised a hand to run it through his bangs. They fell over his face, looking less combed but more natural. He sighed. He had been feeling pretty relaxed for the most part all day and hoped that maybe it would last into the night. Now however, he felt the prospect of what was to come weighing on his shoulders so much he could feel it.  
  
His eyes felt tired and he rubbed them for a moment. Then, he felt a pair of hands come up and wrap around his torso. He froze for a moment before he looked up at the mirror and saw Carol standing behind him. She gave him a small smile as she leaned against his arm.  
  
“Relax. You look fine.”  
  
He shook his head. “It’s… not just that.”  
  
She held him closer. “It’s okay to be nervous.”  
  
“He’s gonna hate me, Carol,” he said lowly. “I know he is. Whatever I say, everything will be different from now on.”  
  
She didn’t respond at first. Vincent hung his head, staring down into the sink. He suddenly felt like he was going to vomit. Carol released her hold on him and raised a hand to his face, forcing him to look at her.  
  
“I know you’re worried,” she said. “But, you can’t keep it from him. You promised yourself and you promised his wife. You can’t back out of it. I don’t know how he’s going to react, but whatever happens, I know you’ll be okay.”  
  
Vincent glanced downward, his expression full of worry. Carol leaned forward.  
  
“Hey, look at me,” she smiled. “You’ll be okay. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.”  
  
He looked at her for a moment as he gave her a small smile. He wasn’t sure if he believed her yet. The weight in his chest made it hard for him to have any faith that this could end well. But, he supposed he could just pretend until he knew for sure.  
  
Vincent walked out of the bathroom, trying not to look like he was walking to his own execution. Carol followed behind him, arms folded. He could tell by the look on her face that she was worried for him, but he didn’t say anything. He reached the coat hanger by the door, and grabbed his brown leather jacket.  
  
“We’ll probably only be a few hours,” he told her as he put the jacket on. “I’ll try not to be back too late. Are you gonna be able to handle Julie?”  
  
“Don’t worry about her, I can handle it,” she assured him.  
  
“Good.”  
  
He straightened his jacket out and gave himself a quick look-over. He didn’t look bad, but he would probably look better if he was less worried and a little more confident. He lifted his head and straightened his shoulders out, hoping he could play it off alright. He looked over at Carol, and she was giving him a gentle smile. Vincent took a step forward, raising his hands up to grab her face and kissed her. She flinched in surprise, but quickly returned the kiss, one hand coming up to grab his wrist.  
  
“I love you,” he whispered.  
  
“I love you too,” she said. “Now get going!”  
  
He chuckled as he lowered his hands from her face. He took a deep breath as he opened the door and stepped out into the early evening.

* * *

(1 week earlier)  
  
“How far away is the plane?” Leo asked.  
  
“Not too far. If we keep going, we should be there by morning.”  
  
Leo groaned as he sat back in his seat. Another several hour-long trip in a car was something he wasn’t looking forward to. He could barely even fall asleep in this damn car. He knew that he should probably try to. They were going after Harvey tomorrow, he needed to be awake enough to keep his gun straight. Curiously, he turned his head to see if Vincent was as tired as he was.  
  
He hadn’t noticed how tired his friend looked until now. His grip was firm on the stirring wheel, but his whole body was slumped over, and his eyelids had started to droop. Leo stared at him. At this rate they’d be lucky if they didn’t fall asleep on the road. Even with them taking turns driving, exhaustion was starting to get the better of them. Leo knew this area pretty well from his previous assignments, and he knew that there were a few dingy motels that he had to use as hideouts. They still had some cash left over, so they could probably stay at one for the night.  
  
Vincent refused almost immediately.  
  
“We can’t afford to stop,” he argued, but the tiredness in his eyes didn’t match his stern voice. “They could track us anywhere at this rate. If we stop for a second, we could risk getting caught.”  
  
Leo huffed irritably. “Vince, we can’t keep running on nothing like this,” he said seriously. “I’m tired as hell and you’re fallin’ asleep on the wheel. Look, there’s a small motel a few miles up the road from here. It’s sketchy, it’s quiet and no one’s gonna bug us while we’re there. Let’s just stop for the night and we’ll leave first thing in the morning. Okay?”  
  
Vincent still didn’t like the idea of stopping. He was so close to getting Harvey and the diamond, and so close to completing this case that the risk that came with stopping was almost too great. But, even he had to admit he was running on the last of his energy, and he’d do anything for even an hour of sleep. So, after careful consideration, he agreed with Leo’s idea.  
  
Before reaching the motel, they each agreed to stop at a small convenient store that was tucked on the side of the road so they could pick up something to eat and some water. It had been almost two days since they had anything, and dehydration and hunger would enviably become an issue if they didn’t. Vincent was less enthusiastic about this idea, considering their mugshots had been all over the papers at this point. But Leo assured him that no one out here would notice, and even if they did, they wouldn’t care as long as they didn’t cause trouble.  
  
“Let’s not waste any time in here,” Vincent whispered to Leo as they walked towards the store. “Just grab what we need and get out of here, okay?”  
  
“Yeah, sure.”  
  
There were only two other people in the store; a scrawny young cashier with his nose shoved in a magazine, and a little old lady browsing for milk. The two criminals felt a little at ease without any eyes directly on them. Still, neither felt like hanging around for too long, so they split up to find what they needed. Leo found bottles of water for only a few cents and grabbed a few of those. He was passing through the isle when his eyes landed on a small sign that read ‘alcohol’. He stared at it for a moment before turning and heading towards it.  
  
The shelf was full of different kinds of cheap, off brand drinks in many different sizes. He spotted a large bottle of what was obviously whiskey, one of his many guilty pleasures when it came to drinks. He looked at the bottle for a moment before grabbing it. He knew that they probably shouldn’t be spending what little money they had on alcohol, but after all that they had been through he thought that they deserved to treat themselves at least a little bit tonight. After all, if shit went south and they got themselves killed, it would be nice to have a little fun before that happened.  
  
He walked out of the isle and headed straight for the front counter, where Vincent stood holding several bags of what looked like crackers, nuts, and energy bars. Leo set the water and the bottle of whiskey on the counter next to the snacks. Vincent turned his head to look at him, brows furrowed.  
  
“Leo-”  
  
“C’mon, Vincent!”  
  
“We don’t have a lot of money to begin with, and we don’t need it.”  
  
“Speak for yourself! I’d kill for a shot at this rate. Besides, I think taking a breather for a moment is what we need right now,” he gave Vincent a knowing look. “And I can tell you’re dying for a drink, too.”  
  
Vincent glared at Leo for a moment. He hated to admit it, but it had been ages since he had had a decent drink. The idea sounded great right now. He was just worried about all that could happen. What if they were tracked down and they were too drunk to get away? What if they got themselves arrested? Or killed?  
  
“C’mon, Vince,” Leo gave him a pleading look. “What’s the worst that could happen?”  
  
He stared at him for a moment before letting out a low sigh and putting some cash on the counter. Leo grinned at him.  
  
The hotel was just as dingey as Leo had said. It didn’t even have one star and was definitely not up to code. It was the kind of place that harbored a lot of unsavory people. But, at the very least they wouldn’t be disturbed while they were there. And the price would be very cheap. When they walked inside, the only person in the front was a short balding man covered in wrinkles, a look of irritation stuck on his face. The two men walked up to the counter, and the man glared at them.  
  
“What do you need?”  
  
“I need one of your cheapest rooms for the night,” Vincent said politely.  
  
The man snorted. “They’re all cheap.”  
  
Vincent refrained from rolling his eyes and placed some money on the counter. The man raised an eyebrow at him before reaching under the counter and taking out a small key.  
  
“Room 13B,” he said firmly. “Right upstairs, down the left.”  
  
“Thanks,” Vincent muttered.  
  
After they went upstairs, they walked down the left hallway until they reached room number 13B. Vincent unlocked the door and opened it. It was obvious that someone had attempted to vacuum and dust the place, but that didn’t make it more presentable. The wallpaper was yellow and cracked and the carpet looked thirty years old. The furniture was so old it almost didn’t even look real. But, there was one piece of furniture that drew their attention the most. A single large bed in the center of the room. The only bed.  
  
Vincent didn’t need to look to know that Leo was staring at the bed as well. The silence between them was defining. He dared to glance over at his friend, and he was looking back at him. He could feel himself start to blush.  
  
“I can take the chair if you want,” Leo started nervously.  
  
“No no, I can take the chair,” Vincent said quickly. “You had to deal with those prison beds longer than I did, I don’t mind.”  
  
Leo rubbed the back of his neck. “Well… we could take shifts? Like we did at that campsite. I mean… I’d just feel bad if you didn’t…”  
  
His words trailed off and he turned away, looking embarrassed. Vincent appreciated his kindness, but he knew that it would be a lot easier for one of them to just stay in the chair and one stay in the bed. What else could they do? Share it? He mentally slapped himself for even thinking that. What would Leo think of him if he suggested that?  
  
“It’s fine, really,” he insisted.  
  
Leo nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. There was more silence between them. Vincent walked over to the small table and chair, setting the bag of food down. He was trying to give himself something to do to distract himself but found it difficult and awkward.  
  
“Um, dibs on first shower,” Leo spoke up as he ran to the bathroom.  
  
“Don’t take all the hot water,” Vincent said halfheartedly.  
  
Leo laughed before he shut the door. Vincent sat down in the chair, taking an energy bar out of the bag. He leaned his head in his hand as he ate the bar. This was starting to become much more complicated than it was supposed to be. It seemed every time he tried to focus on his mission, Leo kept dragging him further and further away from it. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He was so tired.  
  
Leo felt much better once he got out of the shower, despite the fact that it looked just as bad as the rest of the room. But, he felt good enough to be getting along with. He would have preferred to have cleaned his clothes, but there wasn’t an option for that. So, once he was dry, he put back on his jeans and his white V-neck. He left his green jacket off on a hanger for now. After dressing he finally stepped out of the bathroom, drying his soaked hair with his towel. The rest of the room was much cooler outside of the steamy bathroom.  
  
“Alright. Shower’s yours.”  
  
Vincent didn’t respond. Leo looked over at him, towel still on his head. His friend was sitting in the chair, leaning over the table.  
  
“Vincent?”  
  
His shoulders shifted slightly, but he didn’t respond. Leo raised an eyebrow and slowly made his way over to him. He blinked in surprise. Vincent had his head in his hand, his eyes were closed, and his mouth was slightly opened. He had dozed off while he was in the shower. Leo smirked, realizing that he had been right about Vincent being more tired than he was willing to admit. He thought about teasing him about it when he woke up.  
  
Leo placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly. Vincent didn’t move. A small sigh escaped his lips, which were still open. Leo stood there waiting to see if the other man would wake up and found himself staring at his face. His friend looked so peaceful like this. Being able to stand there and really look at him, Leo was once again reminded about how damn good-looking Vincent was. He was finding it harder and harder to deny this to himself, and he was slowly becoming okay with that. He noticed that a few strands of brown hair were hanging in front of Vincent’s eyes. Leo raised his hand before he could stop himself, and his fingers gently brushed the hair out of his face. His hair was much softer than he expected. He froze, realizing what he was doing. He swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head.  
  
“Vincent. Vincent.”  
  
Leo shook his shoulder again, and Vincent’s brows furrowed. He groaned as he finally opened his eyes. He leaned up to look at Leo, who smirked.  
  
“Good thing I told you to stop here, huh? You’d be asleep at the wheel by now if you hadn’t.”  
  
He rolled his eyes slowly. “Yeah yeah, don’t rub it in.”  
  
Leo chuckled. “Shower’s open, by the way. Knock yourself out.”  
  
“Alright.”  
  
Vincent stretched himself out as he walked towards the restroom. Leo tossed his towel onto the arm of the chair, shaking his still damp hair. He ran his fingers through it, trying to get it back into his usual shape. He looked over at the small bedroom clock and saw that it was just after 10pm. Not very late. Still plenty of time to relax a bit. He reached into the bag and pulled out the bottle of whiskey that he had been eyeing since Vincent had bought it. He undid the cap on the bottle as he walked out onto the balcony outside. There were already two chairs out there, and Leo wasted no time taking a seat in one of them. He took a swig of the bottle and he felt the burn in his throat and warmth in his gut almost instantly.  
  
He was out there for probably 15 minutes. He could hear one or two voices from neighboring rooms, but other than that the night was silent. He could hear distant crickets in the far trees and feel the light, summer breeze. He sighed as he took another swig from the bottle, which already had a noticeable amount gone. As bad as their situation was, Leo felt oddly at peace, relaxing on a balcony at night with a cheap bottle of whiskey. It was the first time he had a real chance to take a breather in over 6 months, and he was going to enjoy it for all it was worth. Nothing could make this better.  
  
“Hey, you good?”  
  
Well, maybe one thing could make this better.  
  
Leo turned to see Vincent standing halfway through the balcony door, dressed in his tan trousers and his button up. He wasn’t wearing his brown leather jacket. His hair was still damp, and it looked like he had attempted to comb it out with his hands.  
  
“Yeah,” Leo held the bottle up. “Haven’t had the chance to relax since I got arrested. Just enjoying it while I can.”  
  
Vincent nodded. He stood there for a moment, glancing at the ground before turning to go back inside.  
  
“Hey,” Leo called back. “Uh, didn’t you want a drink? I got it for both of us.”  
  
Vincent paused. “You sure? You seem pretty close to that bottle.”  
  
“Yeah man,” Leo realized he sounded a little too happy and cleared his throat. “I mean, shit, you’re the one who bought it in the first place.”  
  
“You asked for it.”  
  
“But you didn’t have to get it,” Leo raised the bottle up towards him. “C’mon Vince, what do yah say?”  
  
Vincent stood in the doorway for a moment, looking from Leo, to the bottle, and back again. He hesitated before taking a seat in the chair next to Leo.  
  
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to be drinking? We gotta be on our feet tomorrow.”  
  
“Man, relax. Like I said, we’ve earned this!” Leo leaned back in his chair as he took a swing from the bottle. “You worry too much, Vince. I told you before, it’s not good for your heart.”  
  
“I’m worried about a lot more than my heart right now.”  
  
“Vincent, think about it. We escaped from fuckin’ prison, went halfway across the state without actually getting caught, _and_ ,” Leo leaned forward and gave his friend’s arm a small shove. “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re a fuckin’ father now! You of all people need to celebrate, and I think it’s about time we at least had some fun.”  
  
He took another sip of whiskey before leaning forward and holding the bottle out to Vincent. He stared at the bottle for a few moments. He shook his head.  
  
“I don’t know, Leo…”  
  
Leo sighed, leaning back in his chair.  
  
“Oh, alright, fine,” a large smirk appeared on his face. “Had no idea you were too much of a wuss to handle a little liquor.”  
  
Leo could see Vincent’s shoulders stiffen at his words. He can feel his eyes glaring at him. He raised the bottle to take a swig when suddenly it was snatched from his grasp. He turned his head in time to see Vincent taking a rather large gulp from the bottle. Leo grinned.  
  
“Ha, and here I thought you were too uptight to relax.”  
  
“I’m not that uptight,” Vincent retorted, handing the bottle back.  
  
Leo rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. You’ve got that pole so far up your ass you could use it as a pogo stick.”  
  
“Fuck you.”  
  
“Buy me dinner first, then we’ll talk,” he says, giving his friend a wink.  
  
Vincent stares at him for a moment before they each break out into laughter. They spend what feels like an hour outside, passing the bottle back and forth from each other. Half of the bottle is empty soon, and the two men are much cheerier and more relaxed at this point.  
  
“You know, I've been thinkin',” Leo spoke up as Vincent drank from the bottle.  
  
"That's new," Vincent chuckled.  
  
"Yeah yeah, real funny. But, really. I was just thinkin', now that you’re a dad, you need to start working on your sense of humor.”  
  
Vincent snorts. “My what?”  
  
“I mean it, man. One of the best things about being a dad is being able to tell awesome dad jokes. Didn’t your old man have any terrible jokes up his sleeve?”  
  
Vincent’s smirk fell slightly, and he shook his head as he handed the bottle back to Leo. “Nah. My dad wasn’t a very humorous person.”  
  
“That explains a lot,” Leo muttered. “You’re more sarcastic than funny.”  
  
Vincent glared. “Alright, smartass. What do you suggest I do then?”  
  
“Relax, Vince. Dad jokes are super easy, you just gotta think of the right ones?”  
  
“How do I know if they’re right?”  
  
“Oh, you’ll know,” Leo chuckled, taking a sip from the bottle. “Look, here’s one. What do you call a fat psychic?”  
  
He raised an eyebrow. “What?”  
  
“A four-chin teller.”  
  
Vincent blinked, staring at him for a moment. Then he snorted loudly, shaking his head.  
  
“Are you fucking serious…?”  
  
“See?! That’s what I’m talkin’ about! You need to get that kind of reaction out of people. Okay, here’s another one. I heard only 5 out of 4 people admit that they’re bad at fractions.”  
  
It took Vincent a second to realize what Leo had said. His eyes widened and he covered his mouth as he started laughing. Leo grinned at him as he took another sip of whiskey. This was the most relaxed Vincent had been around him and he was loving every bit of it.  
  
“Jeez, Leo! That’s terrible!”  
  
“That’s the point!” he emphasized. “It’s easy. Now you try.”  
  
Vincent’s smile faded. “Oh… no-”  
  
“C’mon! Give me your best one right now.”  
  
“...Okay,” he sighed. “Um… oh. Why did the invisible man turn down the job offer?”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“He couldn’t see himself doing it.”  
  
Leo blinked and started chuckling. For someone who didn’t seem to be good with jokes, he managed to tell a decent one on the first try. He passed the whiskey to his friend, who didn’t hesitate to drink it.  
  
“That’s good. Now, try something like this… Did you know that French Fries weren’t cooked in France? They were cooked in Greece!”  
  
“Jesus Christ, Leo,” Vincent laughs.  
  
“You think that’s bad? You should hear Linda, she’s worse than me sometimes.”  
  
“What? No way!”  
  
“Yes way! Come by on a good day and you’ll see. Alright, you try again.”  
  
Vincent looked away for a moment, tapping his finger on his knee as he tried to think of another joke. A second later he grinned.  
  
“Alright, how about this. How do you make holy water? You boil the hell out of it.”  
  
Leo raised an eyebrow at him before his jaw fell open, and then he started laughing. Vincent grinned, drinking some more whiskey. He was becoming more relaxed with telling these terrible jokes and was enjoying it. It was moments like this- playing with darts, making music in the farmhouse, tossing horseshoes, even playing that dumb Four in a Row game- where they were able to step back for a moment and enjoy each other’s company. It allowed them to really get to know one another just a little bit better. Vincent waited until Leo had caught his breath before handing him the whisky.  
  
“Yeah yeah, like that!” he takes a gulp from the bottle. “Okay, try again!”  
  
“Okay. Two guys walk into a bar. The third one ducks.”  
  
Leo laughs even more, taking a few more swigs of whiskey. He passes it to Vincent, and he takes a smaller sip this time. The bottle is becoming more and more empty, and his head was starting to get a little fuzzy. They were definitely a bit drunk.  
  
“Okay, okay!” Leo took a deep breath. “How about his one? If a kid refuses to take a nap, are they resisting a rest?”  
  
Vincent turns his head away, covering his mouth as he starts laughing loudly. That was by far the funniest joke Leo had said all night, at least in his opinion. If anyone else who really knew Vincent had said that joke, it would’ve been a personal jab with his career. But, since Leo was completely unaware of this, it somehow made the joke even funnier.  
  
“Gimme more,” Leo mumbled as he raised his hand up, waiting for the bottle.  
  
“You sure you can handle more?” he teased as he passed the drink to him.  
  
“Pfft! I’ve been drinkin’ since I was thirteen, man. I can handle plenty.”  
  
Vincent rolled his eyes. He knew that he should probably cut Leo off for his own sake, but he just couldn’t be bothered just yet.  
  
“I still can’t believe that Linda is actually worse than you at these,” he said. “If I tried these on Carol she would go nuts.”  
  
“Oh, she goes nuts alright.”  
  
“How do you deal with it?”  
  
“Easy, I hit her with a nice one-liner,” Leo explained. “Here’s a good one. Those are some nice pants. They would look even better on my bedroom floor.”  
  
Vincent shook his head. “How charming."  
  
“Better than what you can come up with.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Vincent leaned over. “I’m new in town. Could you give me directions to your apartment?”  
  
Leo’s eyes widened, surprised that his friend would even know a good liner like that. He smirked. _This’ll be fun,_ he thought to himself.  
  
“Not bad. But, I’ve got a better one. Did you know your body is 70 percent water? And I’m thirsty.”  
  
He winked. Vincent ignored the heat growing on the back of his neck and grinned back at him.  
  
“Okay, how about this one. You ever gone fishing before? I think we should hookup.”  
  
“Are those pants from space? Because your legs are out of this world.”  
  
“You’re the reason Santa has a naughty list.”  
  
The two go at it for several minutes, hitting each other with the best oneliners they could think of. They weren't even bothered by the fact that they were saying it to each other, let alone the fact that they were pretty much flirting with each other at this point. But, they either didn't care or they were too drunk to care. The oneliners didn't stop until Leo was laughing so loud that Vincent worried about the neighbors hearing them. Leo is now hunched over in his chair, hands on his stomach, laughing loudly. Vincent stares at him as he begins laughing as well. He’s in stitches as he leans over, laughing so hard he doesn’t realize that he’s falling out of his seat. He lands on his hands and knees, still hunched over. Leo set the bottle down and got up from his seat. He grabbed Vincent by the arms and helped him up to his feet.  
  
“You’re f-fucking clumsy when you drink, Vince,” he chuckled.  
  
“Am not…”  
  
“Are to.”  
  
He shoved at Leo’s chest slightly, and Leo held his elbows to keep him from falling again. The two men stood there, laughing for a moment. Their laughter slowly died down as they both looked up at each other. Their smiles fade as they suddenly realize just how close they are. Leo practically had his arms around Vincent, and Vincent’s hands were resting on Leo’s chest. There was no reason to hold onto each other now that they had regained their balance, and yet neither seemed prepared to let go of the other. Leo felt his grip on Vincent’s arms tighten slightly out of nervousness. He could feel himself blushing, and he could see Vincent’s face start to turn red as well. Part of him wants to pull away and apologize, and part of him wanted to get even closer.  
  
He starts to lean his head in slightly, and he sees Vincent doing the same. They each notice, and they freeze. Leo isn’t sure if it’s the overwhelming feeling that’s been building up over the last few weeks or the courage brought on by the alcohol- maybe it’s both- but he’s suddenly losing his ability to care about nerves or embarrassment. Something in his mind had finally clicked, making him realize that this is something that he’s wanted for a long fucking time. Probably since the day he met Vincent. If he didn’t do something now, he probably never would.  
  
Leo held Vincent’s arms gently, daring to pull him slightly closer. His friend stared up at him, eyes wide. He almost looked terrified, and his hands didn’t leave Leo’s chest. His body was moving on its own at this point, and Leo took a step forward, forcing Vincent backward. He gently pressed his back against the glass door of the balcony. They were much closer now.  
  
“Leo, wait…”  
  
But Leo doesn’t wait. He closes eyes and leans in close, his lips brushing against the others’. He’s hesitated for a second before kissing him softly. Neither of them push or pull away. The kiss is frightening, soft, almost experimental. When his friend doesn’t reject him, Leo tilts his head and begins to move his lips against his. His nerves have sparked, his heart is thundering in his chest, and for the first time he doesn’t care. But his heart rate does kick up more when he feels Vincent move his head and grip tightly at his chest.  
  
Vincent’s head is spinning, his thoughts completely blank. He’s pretty sure his heart has completely stopped for a moment. The alcohol has his knees feeling weak and they start to buckle slightly. He’s sure that if Leo wasn’t holding him, he would’ve fallen on the ground by now. Part of him is completely elated, but he knows that he shouldn’t be. This was too much, too fast. This had gone way too far. Having a minor crush is one thing, but this was bad. He had to stop this. He should stop this.  
  
Leo opens his lips slightly, continuing kiss him for a moment. The cool air outside is practically nonexistent as the temperature seemed to increase between them. Vincent starts to give in slightly, holding onto Leo’s shoulders for dear life. At that moment, he finally pulls away. Neither of them seemed to notice until they separated that they were out of breath. They stood there, catching their breath as they stared at each other. Vincent was trying to come up with a way to defuse the situation when he looked into Leo’s eyes. His big, brown eyes were heavy and dilated, and staring at him with such adoration that it made his heart melt. Vincent couldn’t help but stare up in amazement. Leo’s eyes widened slightly for a moment, and suddenly his face fell.  
  
“Ah- shit!” he hissed. “I’m sorry, Vincent. I didn’t mean- I didn’t know what I… I…”  
  
Vincent gripped at Leo’s shirt tightly and pulled him in, leaning up to kiss him again. A small voice in the back of his head was screaming for him to stop, that he was just digging himself an even deeper grave. But, the look on Leo’s face and the fear in his voice made him panic. He didn’t want him to think that the kiss wasn’t welcomed. And he really, really wanted to kiss him again. Leo was frozen in place for a few moments before he melted into the kiss, his hands on Vincent again. He leaned in and pressed him more into the glass door, bringing them closer. Vincent’s hands move from Leo’s shoulders and slowly wrap around his neck, and he felt Leo’s hands lower to grasp at his waist. His touch gives him goosebumps and he let out a satisfied sigh.  
  
They were there for probably about 10 seconds before Vincent heard something that made his eyes open. The sound of a car pulling up below them. He glanced down and saw bright headlights from a car, and he pulled away with a gasp.  
  
“Leo!”  
  
Leo whipped his head around, hands still on Vincent’s waist. He saw the lights too.  
  
“Fuck!”  
  
He quickly picked up the bottle and ran for the glass door. Vincent followed after and shut the door behind them, pulling the curtains closed. He waited for a few seconds before daring to peek outside. The car had pulled up to a nearby parking space, and he could see it clearly now. It wasn’t a cop car, as he had feared. It was just a regular, blue Cadillac. He groaned, letting go of the curtain.  
  
“Is it a cop?” Leo asked.  
  
“No,” Vincent sighed. “No, we’re fine. It was just a regular.”  
  
There was a pause. Leo suddenly started laughing loudly. Vincent turned to glare at him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, hunched over, leaning against his knees with a smile on his face.  
  
“What’s so funny?”  
  
Leo sat up, beaming at him. “You need to get some glasses, old man,” he said, raising the hand that still held the whiskey. “Your eyes are starting to go.”  
  
Vincent shook his head. “Shut up.”  
  
Leo chuckled again before taking another swig from the bottle. Vincent groaned as he walked over to sat on the edge of the bed next to him. Leo was still smirking as he offered the bottle to Vincent, but he shook his head. He had enough alcohol for one night. Leo’s smile faded slightly as he lowered his hand. He stared at the irritated expression on his friends face, and started to feel a little bad. Vincent was tired, drunk, and getting scared like probably didn’t help his attitude.  
  
Vincent turned his head to look at Leo and saw he was still staring up at him. It was at this moment that they each realized just how close they were on the bed. The cop felt his whole body go rigged as he remembered what happened just seconds before. Leo seemed to remember as well. Both men were suddenly hit with a wave of embarrassment and they each turned to look away from each other, both of their faces bright red. Their minds kept flashing back to what they had just done just seconds before. Leo had kissed Vincent, and Vincent had kissed him back.  
  
“Hey…” Leo started, still looking away. “You’re, ah… not mad or anything, right?”  
  
“About what?” Vincent asked.  
  
“The, uh… you know…”  
  
Vincent’s face was even hotter than before, and he gulped. The kiss was making him feel a lot of different things at the moment. Confused? Yes. Concerned? Definitely. But mad? Absolutely not.  
  
“No,” he slowly turned to look back at him. “Do you think I would’ve kissed you back if I was mad?”  
  
Leo turned to look at Vincent, eyes wide. He looked half surprised, half relieved. Vincent grinned at him slightly, and Leo smiled.  
  
“Hah… good.”  
  
The two men smiled at each other for a moment, their faces still visibly flushed. They turned away, feeling a little more comfortable than before. Vincent turned to look at the desk clock. It was almost midnight.  
  
“It’s pretty late,” he said. “We should sleep. We gotta get to that plane tomorrow.”  
  
“Yeah, okay.”  
  
Leo set the nearly empty bottle of whiskey on the side table. Vincent stood up, starting to make his way over to the chair. He could probably use a pillow and make it more comfortable.  
  
“Hey,” Leo piped up, making Vincent stop and turn around. “Um… you don’t have to sleep there, you know. We can just share the bed. I mean…I don’t mind.”  
  
Vincent paused and considered for a moment. He would obviously prefer the bed over the chair, but he hesitated. It was now clear to both of them that they each felt something towards each other, and it seems that they were both starting to accept it. So, sharing a bed could possibly lead to… other things. But, the combination of exhaustion and booze was sure to be enough to help them fall asleep.  
  
“I don’t mind if you don’t,” he said finally.  
  
Leo nodded. “Yeah… alright,” he smirked and raised a playful finger at him. “No funny business, got it?”  
  
Vincent laughed, raising his hands in surrender.  
  
Neither of them said anything as they turned off the lights and went to bed. Leo fell asleep very quickly, his small snores filling the room. Vincent spent at least an hour trying to fall asleep, his mind buzzing with what had happened. He kept asking himself why he didn’t stop it. Why he allowed himself to get close to Leo like this. Why he was letting himself get even closer- emotionally and physically. He knew that if he indulged in these feelings even a little bit that he could get attached and possibly compromised. He would be putting the mission and both of their lives even more risk if he did. He knew that…  
  
And yet, he let it happen. Hell, he basically contributed to it the second he kissed Leo back. A small part of him, deep in the back of his mind, knew that what happened tonight was something he not only wanted, but desired. And he let himself have it.  
  
He… was completely fucked now.


	8. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey... so I actually had 90 percent of this chapter written out when I posted the last one, but I was having trouble adding more to it and editing it. But, I finally finished it and I think it turned out really well. Hope you enjoy!

Ch. 8  
Confessions

 

Vincent never felt comfortable drinking and driving. He preferred to walk home after having a drink, more often than not, by himself. He never had a reason to feel worried or unsafe before. Now however, he felt more vulnerable than he can ever remember feeling. But, it was because he _wasn’t_ going to be walking alone tonight. He ducked his head as he stood on the sidewalk. Leo had agreed to meet up with him on the edge of town, just a few minutes away from the other man’s home. Vincent didn’t have his watch, and was unable to track time as he waited. He was starting to wonder if he should have picked a different spot for them to meet up.  
  
“Hey,” a voice called out.  
  
Vincent raised his head and saw Leo walking towards him. He was wearing black jeans and a dark blue button-up over a white shirt. Vincent felt his mouth split into a grin at the sight of him, and Leo grinned back.  
  
“Hey. I was wondering when you’d turn up.”  
  
“What? You think I’d skip out on you?” Leo asked. “Not a chance.”  
  
Vincent raised a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Uh, you look good.”  
  
Leo blinked, then chuckled. “Ah, you do too.”  
  
The two men were silent for a moment, standing alone on the sidewalk. Leo cleared his throat.  
  
“So… where are we going?”  
  
“Uh, this way.”  
  
Vincent gestured out with his hand as he turned and started heading in that direction. He heard footsteps behind him as Leo followed him. It took him a few steps to catch up until he was walking beside him  
  
“What kind of place is this, anyway?”  
  
“Just a typical hole-in-the-wall spot some friends and I go to sometimes,” Vincent answered. “It’s pretty full most days, but it’s usually quiet on Mondays.”  
  
Leo rolled his eyes. “Figures you’d want a quiet place to drink. You don’t like crowds of drunk people laughin’ and singin’, and havin’ a good time?”  
  
“Oh, well, I thought maybe a quieter place to drink would be better after what we’ve been through,” he grinned sheepishly, looking down at his feet. “And… I thought it would be good for us to sit and talk.”  
  
Leo almost stopped in his tracks as he stared at his friend’s embarrassed smile. He could already feel his face starting to grow hot. He grinned proudly as he looked forward again.  
  
“Well, if it’s as good as you say, we can come back when it’s a little more full, huh?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
It took them about 20 minutes to reach the place after that. It was small, tucked on the side off a large brick building. A sign above the door read “Jasper’s Hut”. When they went inside, they saw that there were only three other people at different corners of the bar. It was even more empty than Vincent had expected. He gestured for Leo to follow him, and he walked over to the bar. The bartender, a middle-aged man with blonde hair and a beard, raised a hand as they walked over.  
  
“Hey, Vincent. Been a while, huh?”  
  
“Too long,” Vincent sat at a chair and turned to Leo. “This is Ryan, old friend of mine.”  
  
Leo gave the man a small nod as he sat down beside Vincent. “I’m Leo.”  
  
“Always nice to see a new face. What can I get for you two?”  
  
“Scotch for me.”  
  
“Same here.”  
  
Ryan nodded. He reached under the bar for a few moments before coming back up with two glasses of scotch.  
  
“Thanks,” said Vincent.  
  
Ryan walked away to talk to the man passed out on the other end of the bar. Leo reached for his glass and drank from it. It tasted a lot better than most scotch he had tasted, and he grinned.  
  
“Nice.”  
  
“Yeah, Ryan always has good liquor on him,” said Vincent. “One of the reasons I always come here.”  
  
“When do you usually come in here?”  
  
“I come here after work sometimes to relax,” he explained. “Usually only with my colleagues. I tried bringing Carol here a few times but she didn’t like it that much.”  
  
Leo nodded and drank again. This was some damn good scotch. He’d have to ask Ryan where he got his goods. He looked over as Vincent went to drink his scotch as well, and he found himself staring at his friend again. He wasn’t even trying to stop himself anymore. It had felt like ages since Leo was able to just sit there and look at Vincent again. He was staring at Vincent’s hazel eyes until he finally turned to look back at him. Leo didn’t look away, and Vincent grinned sheepishly.  
  
“What?”  
  
Leo chuckled. “Nothin’, man.”  
  
As he took another swig of his drink, Linda’s words from earlier rang in his head. _“You’re literally going out to get drinks with him tonight. That’s practically a date.”_ He felt himself freeze for half a second. The idea had not crossed his mind until that moment. But, it almost made sense. He and Vincent went out together, at night, and to get drinks. But, it was normal for guys to get drinks together, right? So, why did it suddenly make him nervous? Slightly overwhelmed by this realization, Leo leaned over the bar and stared down into his glass. He was trying not to stare at Vincent anymore.  
  
There was a long silence, in which the two men just sat in their seats drinking their scotch. Vincent was too busy trying to think of the best way to start his confession that he couldn’t think of a good way to ease into it. Leo was so nervous and worked up over this possibly being a date that he couldn’t think of anything to say, fearing he might say something stupid. _This awkward,_ they both thought.  
  
“Hey Vincent,” Ryan spoke up suddenly. “The jukebox is open if you wanted to put something on. Could liven things up around here.”  
  
“Oh, yeah.”  
  
Vincent got out of his seat, relieved to be doing something. He walked over to the jukebox and started putting a few coins in. Ryan leaned over the bar to talk to Leo.  
  
“I usually give Vincent control of the music whenever he comes in here,” he told him. “Man’s got good taste, you know.”  
  
Leo look from him back to Vincent, watching as he selected a song. A moment later a steady beat of guitars and drums started up. Leo watched as Vincent came back and sat back down next to him.  
  
“You like music, huh?” he asked.  
  
“Vincent always picks the music whenever he and his boys come by after work,” Ryan said before Vincent could answer. “Guy’s got pretty good taste, too.”  
  
Leo grinned over at Vincent. Ryan gave the cop a small wink. Vincent quickly realized that he was trying to help, and he cleared his throat.  
  
“Yeah,” he said quickly. “I’ve always liked listening to music, ever since I was a kid.”  
  
He took a swig from his scotch at the same time as Leo. Vincent thought he saw Ryan grin as he started to mess with something under the bar.  
  
“What kind of music you like?”  
  
“Alternative and soft Rock, mostly.”  
  
“No kidding? I figured you’d be into old music, like Elvis or somethin’.”  
  
“I like Elvis too, but he’s not my favorite.”  
  
Leo laughed, taking another sip of his drink. Vincent smiled.  
  
“What about you?”  
  
“Me? I grew up on Jazz,” Leo told him. “Still a good listen sometimes. And Rock, too.”  
  
“Not surprised you’d be into loud music like that.”  
  
“At least he’s got good taste too, eh?” Ryan said, smirking.  
  
Vincent chuckled as he drank his scotch. Leo looked down into his glass and realized that he was almost empty. Before he could even look up, Ryan had already walked over and started to fill his glass again. Leo grinned at him. For a nosey bartender, Ryan was alright. He looked down at his refilled glass, but suddenly lost his desire to take a sip. He remembered the last time he and Vincent had shared a drink together. That night, at the dingy motel. The night they had kissed… He slowly turned his head to look all around the bar and saw that he and Vincent were now the only ones left. Well, better now than never.  
  
Leo raised his glass and took a big gulp of scotch. He firmly placed his glass back on the bar, his jaw set. He glanced over at Ryan, who had moved to the end of the bar and was cleaning up dirty glasses. He looked at Vincent for a moment, who didn’t seem to notice anything, and cleared his throat.  
  
“So… are we gonna talk about that kiss then?”  
  
Vincent paused in the middle of drinking and slowly set his glass down. Leo could feel his eyes staring at him, but he refused to look back. There was silence for a moment. Leo started to get nervous and shook his head.  
  
“We don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said quickly, and his ears started to turn red. “I mean, it’s just that… whatever, never mind.”  
  
“No, it’s fine,” Vincent spoke calmly. “We probably should talk about it.”  
  
Leo looked over at him and nodded, lifting his glass and taking a large swig of it. Vincent pushed his glass away a little bit.  
  
“So, you can be honest with me,” Leo started. “Are you… like…”  
  
“Gay?” Vincent shook his head. “No. I’m bisexual, actually.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I’m attracted to men and women.”  
  
“Oh.”  
  
Leo stared into his scotch as he messed around with the glass. He didn’t have much experience with gay people to begin with. Now, apparently there’s people that can like both? He really needed to get out more.  
  
“Are you okay with that?”  
  
Leo raised his head quickly. Vincent was looking at him with concern in his eyes.  
  
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Leo said seriously. “I just… Look, I know a lot of people are unhappy with stuff like that, but… honestly, I don’t give a shit. I don’t know why, I just don’t. If you’re not hurting anybody, I don’t mind what you do.”  
  
Vincent stared at him for a moment until he felt himself smile. He was never sure what Leo’s opinions on the subject were. It had never come up. But, to know that he was okay with it was certainly reassuring. Leo turned back, and he looked surprised to see Vincent smiling at him. He blushed slightly and gulped.  
  
“So, have you ever… been with a guy before?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound awkward.  
  
“Yeah, once.”  
  
Leo waited for him to continue, but Vincent just picked up his drink and started to sip it again. Leo frowned, both curious and concerned. The other man noticed him staring and stared back for a moment. He took another sip of scotch and sighed.  
  
“There… was a boy that I was friends with in high school,” he started. “Before I dated Carol. Andrew Bralin. Good kid. He was the only other guy I ever knew who was attracted to men,” he gripped his glass tightly. It had been a long time since he had ever told anyone about this, and he was nervous. “I guess you could say we dated for about five or six months. We… we only kissed a few times. Nothing more.”  
  
“What happened?”  
  
He glared down at his drink. “His parents found out. They… were pissed. They had him shipped off to a boarding school, and they moved away shortly after. Never saw him again…”  
  
Vincent gulped, feeling a sudden pressure in the back of his head. He had never had to think about that part of his life in so long- never had a reason to. It still made him angry to this day. He could see Leo staring at him from the corner of his eye. He drank his scotch to give him something to do.  
  
“How did they find out?”  
  
“We used to pass notes and letters to each other between classes,” Vincent explained. “And one day, his dad found one of my letters in his school bag and… well, he lost his shit over it.”  
  
“What about your parents?” Leo asked, his tone suggesting that he was afraid of the answer.  
  
“They… reacted differently to it. My mom wasn’t angry, she was mostly worried about how other people might treat me if they found out. She was more scared for me, I guess. My dad…” Vincent paused. “He was… less understanding. He made it painfully clear that no son of his was going to act that way and that ‘I better straighten myself out’. Heh… no pun intended.”  
  
He laughed slightly at the morbid joke. Leo didn’t laugh. His hand that was in his lap curled into a fist for a moment. Was he angry? Vincent cleared his throat.  
  
“Anyway, he never really brought it up again, but I could tell it was on his mind. He was always angrier than usual after that. Always trying to keep an eye on me, like he didn’t think I could be trusted on my own. I… don’t think he smiled at me again until I started dating Carol. But, even that’s a stretch.”  
  
Leo shook his head. “Shit… I’m sorry, man.”  
  
“Don’t be.”  
  
There was a pause. Both men sat quietly at the bar, wondering what to say next. Leo decided to go first.  
  
“Does Carol know?” he asked.  
  
Vincent chuckled. “I’ve known Carol since middle school, Leo. She was my best friend long before we started dating. She’s always known, and she was always okay with it. Still is.”  
  
Leo nodded, not saying anything. Part of him wasn’t surprised that Carol would be accepting of that sort of thing. She seemed like very patient woman. She would have to be to deal with Vincent’s attitude.  
  
“What about you, Leo?” Vincent asked. “I mean, do you even like men that way?”  
  
“What do you-” Leo paused, and sighed. “No, I don’t.”  
  
Vincent leaned forward. “So…?”  
  
“I… I don’t know,” he said shortly. “I mean… I’ve never been attracted to men before. I can tell the difference between a good-looking guy and ugly one, but nothing like that.”  
  
“And, now?”  
  
Leo shook his head. “No, I don’t like other men.”  
  
Vincent thought he felt his chest deflate a little bit. He reached up to take a sip of his drink.  
  
“But… I like you.”  
  
Vincent nearly choked on his drink at that. He never would have expected Leo to come right out and say it like that. He looked over at him with wide eyes. Leo was hunched over his drink, as though trying to hide his face, and the parts of his face that Vincent could see were very red.  
  
“Look, I can’t explain why, okay?” he said quickly, sounding angry. “It’s just… it’s just somethin’ I know. I feel it, you know? In my gut. It doesn’t happen a lot, so I know when it’s real. This is… different and weird, but… I know it’s for real. I like you… that’s all I know.”  
  
Leo could feel his face growing hot. He had only ever been this close and opened to Linda and talking like this to anyone else- especially another man- felt nerve-wracking. He could feel eyes on him, so he swallowed hard and glanced over to look at his friend. Vincent was looking up at him, his face flushed pink, a smile on his face. For some reason, the smile made Leo feel relaxed rather than anxious.  
  
“Does Linda know?” Vincent asked. “You know, about what we did?”  
  
“Yeah. Does Carol?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
They both continued to stare at each other, and they were stuck there for a moment. Leo bit his lip as he reached for his drink, hunching over it again. He looked over at Ryan to make sure he wasn’t listening in before continuing.  
  
“Um… so, Linda is okay with it,” Leo muttered just loud enough for Vincent to hear. “You know… Us… Whatever this is…”  
  
Vincent blinked. “Really?”  
  
“Yeah,” Leo sat up. “Linda and I… we’ve always had this thing between us. She’s my lady, and I’d never leave her. But… with my line of work, sometimes it’s hard to stay together. She’s got her needs, I’ve got mine.”  
  
“You’re… open?” Vincent asked, worried if that was the right word to use.  
  
“In a way. We’ve never had anything serious with anyone else but each other,” Leo paused. “But… we’re okay with it if it does happen. So… yeah.”  
  
Leo gulped down the rest of his scotch, setting down his glass and folding his arms on the bar. Vincent sat there, speechless. As the silence continued, a thought suddenly came to Leo’s mind. He hadn’t put much thought into what could happen if Vincent’s wife found out about the kiss. Linda was okay with it, but was she?  
  
“What about Carol?” he asked. “How’d she take it?”  
  
“Oh,” Vincent cleared his throat. “Pretty good, actually.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
“Yeah. My wife and I aren’t really… open like you and Linda,” he paused. “But, she was always supportive of me and who I was. She had always felt bad that I never had the chance to really… put myself out there, I guess? She used to say that if I ever found a man that I liked, that… well…”  
  
“Seriously?” Leo asked, shocked. “She’d let you fuck a dude?”  
  
“Leo, please,” Vincent sighed. “Look, the point is, she’s okay with it.”  
  
Both men turned away to stare at their glasses. Then, Leo chuckled.  
  
“Man… our wives are the best, aren’t they?”  
  
Vincent smiled. “They sure are.”  
  
Ryan finally seemed to finish cleaning his glasses and walked back over to them. Vincent asked him to refill their glasses, and he obliged. He waited until he walked way before turning to talk to Leo again.  
  
“So, did Linda figure you out before you told her?” he asked curiously. “Like, did she suspect anything?”  
  
“Oh yeah, totally,” Leo said, sounding much more comfortable now. “She figured something was up when she saw us together. She said- ah, I don’t know. Something about how I acted around you, how I was better around you than I was with most people. Especially since we hadn’t known each other for too long,” he hesitated as he reached for his glass. “She likes you, you know. Thinks you’re good with Alex.”  
  
“Really?”  
  
Vincent turned away. He never would have guessed that, considering the way she was talking to him the other day. Though, it might have had to do with the fact that she now knew who he was.  
  
“What about Carol?” Leo piped up. “Did she find out when you told her? Or did she figure it out?”  
  
“Oh, she had her suspicions,” Vincent chuckled. “I think our wives are much smarter than we give them credit for.”  
  
“Damn right they are. So?”  
  
“It was at the hospital. She could sense that something was up the second she saw you with me. She said she was surprised that I would bring an escaped convict to see our new born child, and that it seemed like the only reason was because I really trusted you. She realized the rest once I told her about the kiss.”  
  
“Man…” Leo smiled widely at Vincent. “By the way, how’s it feel to be a dad?”  
  
“A lot better now that I get to hold her more.”  
  
“That’s awesome, man. But, you’ll need to practice on that a lot more. I saw how you held her at the hospital.”  
  
“What? You don’t think I can figure it out?”  
  
Leo smirked. “Your words, not mine.”  
  
Vincent laughed out loud, and Leo beamed. After everything that they had been through, everything that they had done, this felt like a breath of fresh air. Vincent was almost convinced that everything could be okay. That it would all come together, and nothing could stop it.  
  
Leo was about to take another sip of his drink when he paused. His face fell as he looked off in a different direction.  
  
“Vince?”  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“What you said about your wife,” he started. “How when we got to the hospital together, you said she was surprised?  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Why would she be surprised that I was there?” Leo turned to look at his friend. “I mean, yeah, I’m an escaped convict, but so were you. We were both criminals on the run. Why would it be weird that I was there?”  
  
Vincent looked over at Leo and he felt his face fall. This was it. This was where it was going to start. This was the moment that would change everything that had just happened between them. He sighed.  
  
“Ryan, could you give us a moment?”  
  
Ryan glanced at the two of them, then nodded. He walked toward the other end of the bar and went through a door into a back room. Leo raised an eyebrow as Vincent suddenly took his glass and downed the rest of his scotch in one gulp.  
  
“Leo… there’s something I’ve got to tell you,” Vincent’s voice was gravellier than usual. “And you’re not gonna like it.”  
  
“Vincent, what’s wrong?” Leo asked. He was starting to feel worried. Had he said something wrong?  
  
“You have to promise me that you’ll hear me out at least,” he asked. “No matter how angry you get. Please, promise me that.”  
  
Leo gulped. “I… Yeah, okay. I promise.”  
  
Vincent’s hand had remained on the glass, and it was now starting to shake slightly. It was making a soft taping on the surface of the bar as it did. He just wanted to get it over with.  
  
“Vincent, talk to me!” Leo urged. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. What is it?”  
  
Vincent took a deep breath. No matter how much he prepared himself, no matter what he said, nothing he could do would make this any easier on him. As much as he wished it, things would just never be the same between him and Leo after this. And there was nothing he could do about it. But, he had to do this. He owed it to Leo.  
  
_“Vincent, I need to know I can trust you on this one.”  
  
__“You can trust me.”  
  
_“I know why you ended up in prison.”  
  
“No shit, Sherlock,” Leo spoke irritably. “I told you why I was in there.”  
  
Vincent shook his head. “No Leo, I know why you ended up in prison because… because I was there.”  
  
“What’re you talkin’ about?”  
  
Vincent leaned on the counter, hanging his head. He could feel himself starting to shake slightly but kept himself together as he continued.  
  
“Remember how I told you about why I ended up in prison? I told you that Harvey killed my brother and framed me for it?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Well… he did kill brother, but he didn’t frame me. And, he didn’t kill him for the reason I told you.”  
  
Leo’s brows furrowed as he stared at him. What was going on? What was he talking about? Vincent could feel his nerves starting to get to him, so he decided to just let it all out. Quick and easy, like a band-aid.  
  
“My brother was a cop, and he was on the case for the Black Orlov. He went undercover as the buyer to get the diamond from you. It almost worked, but… well, you know the rest. You were there.”  
  
“But, how do you know what happened?” Leo asked lowly. “And, why were you there?”  
  
Vincent opened his mouth to answer, but his voice was caught in his throat. He closed his mouth and gulped, trying to think of how to say it.  
  
“You’re a cop.”  
  
It was a statement, not a question. Vincent closed his eyes and nodded. The silence that followed was defining. The music from the jukebox seemed to fade away, the ceiling fans stopped creaking, even the noises from outside seemed to disappear. Vincent sat still in his seat, waiting for Leo to respond in some way. When he didn’t, he took a deep breath and spoke up.  
  
“When Harvey killed my brother, I took on the mission and went undercover as a prisoner. We knew you would know where to find him, so they put me in a cell next to you. I was just supposed to get information from you… I didn’t think you were gonna try to escape.”  
  
His words trailed off. The silence and the tension in the room were becoming too much to properly handle. He was starting to wonder if this place was a good idea for a confession. Suddenly, he felt a massive force shove him out of his seat. He stumbled backwards but managed to catch himself and stay on his feet. He looked up and saw Leo standing in front of him, arms at his side, his fists clenched. He had a look of fury on his face.  
  
“Are you fuckin’ serious?” he growled. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me, man?!”  
  
“Leo, wait-!”  
  
Leo suddenly reached around, picked up Vincent’s empty glass, and threw it at him. He jumped out of the way in time and heard the glass smash behind him. Leo threw the other one at him too, and it smashed in front of Vincent’s feet. He looked up to see his friend stomping straight towards him, raising his hands up. Vincent didn’t move.  
  
“I know you’re mad-”  
  
Leo raised a fist and punched Vincent in the face, hard. Vincent was able to straighten up in time to block Leo’s next punch. He delivered his own punch to his friend’s stomach, and he groaned as he hunched over. Vincent didn’t want to fight Leo like this  
  
“Leo, please listen to me. You promised-”  
  
“Fuck you!” he yelled. “You’re gonna lecture me about that? After what you just said?!”  
  
“Not everything I said was untrue!” Vincent said quickly. “How my brother died and why I was in prison, that was a lie. But it was the only lie, I swear.”  
  
Leo straightened up, hand on his stomach. He glared so angrily at Vincent that he took a step backwards, just to be safe.  
  
“Oh, and you expect me to believe you?” he glowered at him. “You fuckin’ rat…”  
  
“Leo-”  
  
“I trusted you, Vincent! I trusted you! I told you everything, I let you near my family, I saved your fuckin’ life! I was gonna sell the diamond and split it with you, you fucker! I-”  
  
He stopped talking. For a brief second, the anger from his face fell as he stared at Vincent. The other man raised his hands slightly, wondering if he should try to step closer to him. But, just as he was about to move, Leo suddenly ran forward, grabbing him by the collar and pushing him backwards. Vincent pushed past tables and knocked over several chairs before he felt himself slam against the opposite wall, his head banging against the wood.  
  
“Leo, stop!”  
  
“Was it real?”  
  
The tone in his voice was much softer than what it had been a moment ago, but the anger in it still sent chills up Vincent’s spine. He looked back at his friend, and his expression was a mix of rage and sorrow. The hands pinning him got tighter and pushed him harder, but he didn’t resist.  
  
“Was what real?” he groaned out.  
  
“Everything! What you told me about yourself, the stupid games and the dumb jokes!” Leo spat angrilly. “What happened at the motel, and the things that you just said… were you just trying to get close to me? Was any of it real?”  
  
Vincent felt vulnerable under his gaze and swallowed hard. Part of him was surprised that Leo would ask him that, but all things considered, he couldn’t exactly blame him. He would probably be asking the same thing had their roles been reversed. Vincent slowly raised his arms, which were shaking slightly, and gently grabbed Leo’s wrists. He felt the grip on his collar loosen slightly.  
  
“Leo, do you honestly think any man would do what I did for the sake of a mission?” he asked. “I didn’t mean to let things go this far, but… every time I tried to keep my distance, you kept bringing me back in. So, I stopped trying to pull away and I let you pull me in.”  
  
Leo snarled, “Why should I believe you?!”  
  
“Leo, I wouldn’t be telling you this if I didn’t care,” Vincent stared up at him with pleading eyes. “I wouldn’t have helped you when you lost your parachute. I wouldn’t have gone back for you when the rocks fell on your bike. I wouldn’t have paid your bail to keep you out of prison. Leo, Harvey is dead. The diamond is safe. The mission is over. I have no other reason to be here… but I am because I care about you.”  
  
Leo’s anger fell as he stared at Vincent with confused eyes. He was no longer pinning him to the wall, and Vincent was still holding onto his wrists. Leo quickly released his hold on his friend’s collar and pull his hands away from him. His eyes fell to the floor for a moment. He looked exhausted.  
  
“I… I need to go.”  
  
He suddenly whipped around and quickly started to make his way to the door. Vincent’s feet finally started working again, and he walked towards him.  
  
“Leo-”  
  
“No!” he raised his hands. “No, Vincent. I’m really fuckin’ pissed off, okay? I just- I need to leave before I do something stupid.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“No,” Leo said firmly. “Just… Shit, just give me a few days to cool off, alright? Jesus…”  
  
He turned and marched straight for the door again. This time, Vincent didn’t try to stop him. Leo gave him one last dejected glare before pushing passed the door, marching in the direction they had come from.  
  
Vincent shook his head. He knew that the conversation could have ended a lot worse, but that didn’t make him feel any better. It certainly didn’t make his face feel better. He was sure there would be a bruise on his cheek by the time he got home.  
  
“Somebody gonna pay for my glass?” a voice piped up.  
  
Vincent whipped around. Ryan was standing at the bar, arms folded, eyebrows raised quizzically. He sighed and strode forward, reaching behind for his wallet.  
  
“Sorry about the mess, Ryan.”  
  
“Eh, I’ve had worse. Bad night, I guess?”  
  
“Something like that.”  
  
Vincent took out a few twenties and placed them on the bar. Ryan didn’t move.  
  
“You know, I’ve witnessed my fair share of lovers quarrels, but that right there was something else.”  
  
Vincent froze where he stood, halfway between putting away his wallet and picking up his jacket. Ryan raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly.  
  
“What? You think I couldn’t see what was going on between you two when you walked in here?”  
  
Vincent sighed irritably as he put on his jacket. “You really shouldn’t be listening in on stuff like that.”  
  
“Vincent, I’m a bartender. It’s my job to listen to someone else’s problems, so long as I’m giving them drinks, that is.”  
  
He shook his head. “You don’t understand…”  
  
“Maybe not all of it, but I know a broken heart when I see it,” Ryan leaned over the bar. “Whatever’s going on with you two, whatever it is that you two have, you better fix things quick if you want to keep it going. Because the longer you wait, the harder it’ll be to fix.”  
  
Vincent didn’t know how to respond. So, without saying a word, he turned and walked out of the bar. He almost wanted to follow in the direction Leo had run off, hoping maybe he could still catch him. But, he knew better. Leo said to give him a few days, so he’ll give him a few days.

* * *

Vincent took his time going home after that. He just needed some time to himself to think about what had happened, before confronting Carol about it. He didn’t want to come home bruised and defeated and be unable to tell her why. But, in a way, Vincent had a feeling something like this would happen, so he wasn’t completely unprepared for her reaction.  
  
He took his keys from his pocket and unlocked the front door. Stepping inside, he looked around to see if Carol was there. He didn’t see her, and he carefully shut the door behind him.  
  
“Vincent?”  
  
He grimaced slightly and turned around. Carol had just stepping out from the kitchen, Julie in one hand and a bottle in the other. Her expression seemed happy when he turned, but as she stared at him her face fell and her brows furrowed. He glanced away from her as he took his jacket off.  
  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you waiting. Was Julie okay?”  
  
“She was fine.”  
  
Vincent didn't look at her as he placed his jacket on the coat-rack. Suddenly there was the sound of quick footsteps, and before Vincent react, Carol was standing right in front of him. He stared at her in surprise, which gave her time to look closer at his face. She had set down the bottle and reached her free hand to gently touch his cheek. Vincent’s face flinched slightly as he felt it sting where she touched.  
  
“I’m guessing it didn’t go well?” she asked in a low voice.  
  
“It could’ve been worse,” he said simply.  
  
Carol patted his shoulder. “Come here.”  
  
She grabbed the bottle and started to walk away, and Vincent followed her into the kitchen. She set the bottle on the counter before reaching for their freezer. A moment later she pulled out a bag of what looked like frozen peas. Vincent raised an eyebrow as he took the bag from her.  
  
“Is it bad?” he asked as he sat down at the table.  
  
“There’s a big bruise under your right eye. It’ll turn black in a few days.”  
  
“Great, and I still gotta finish my case report at the precinct. How the hell am I gonna explain this?”  
  
He leaned over the table as he placed the bag on his face and sighed. His cheek felt much better with it on. Carol walked over and sat beside him, placing Julie on her shoulder.  
  
“What happened?” she asked.  
  
“We talked, we had a few drinks, I… ended up telling him more than what I went there to tell him. No idea if it made the truth better or worse.”  
  
“And the bruise?”  
  
“He didn’t take it well when he realized I was a cop.”  
  
“I figured that much. Did you two trash Ryan’s place?”  
  
“No, just a little broken glass and a few chairs knocked over. Nothing that bad.”  
  
He didn’t say anything after that. He wasn’t sure what else he could say. Leo is so angry with him that he wasn’t sure if he would see him again after this. He said he needed a few days, but what if it ended up being longer? Vincent didn’t want any bad blood between them, but he wasn’t sure how to proceed.  
  
“Vincent?”  
  
He shook his head. “I’m lost, Carol. I don’t know what to do now. I don’t know how to fix this.”  
  
She reached her hand over to grasp his. “Don’t worry, Vincent. I’m sure something-”  
  
Suddenly, the telephone started ringing. They each remained in their seats, looking at each other for a few moments. After the third ring Vincent stood up and walked over to the kitchen wall, picking up the phone.  
  
“Hello?”  
  
_“Moretti! Good, you’re up.”  
  
_“Captain? What is it?”  
  
_“Listen Moretti, I need you back at the station first thing in the morning.”  
  
_“But-”  
  
_“Something’s happened,”_ he paused. _“We just got a call from some officers in New York saying that our guys that were delivering the diamond were ambushed on the road.”  
  
_Vincent froze. “Ambush?”  
  
_“It was a whole damn murder scene, Vincent. Only one guy made it out. But, that’s not all,”_ he sighed. _“They… they took the diamond, Vincent. The Black Orlov is missing again."_


	9. Not Over Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Been a while, and I apologize for that. Kind of a short chapter before we start getting into the thick of it. Hope you enjoy, Please leave a comment if you did!

Ch. 9

Not Over Yet

 

Vincent didn’t waste any time that morning. He had set his alarm early for the morning and was out the door before Julie had even woken up. His mind was racing with so many thoughts and questions over what James had told him. The diamond was missing, people were dead, and- more seriously- Harvey’s employees could be involved. But how? And why?  
  
There were never too many people in the office this early in the morning, so he was free to sprint through the hallways until he reached the meeting room. Vincent burst through the doors and looked around. His captain, Emily, as well as a few other detectives were in the room, all standing in a circle, as though they had been waiting for him. His captain stepped forward as soon as he had walked in.  
  
“Thank god you got here, Vincent,” he said, sounding tired. “We were just going over all the previous evidence from the case- Hey, what happened to your eye?”  
  
“Went out for a drink last night, some drunk tried to pick a fight,” Vincent explained quickly. Emily gave him an odd look, but he ignored her. “What have we got?”  
  
“Come see.”  
  
The captain grabbed Vincent’s shoulder and dragged him forward towards the other officers and detectives. They had all been standing in front of a large board that had been covered in the evidence and notes from the Black Orlov investigation. The board had been cleared the previous day, and it was obvious someone had added everything back to the board quickly and clumsily. But, there was some new information on the bottom, including the vehicle that had been delivering the diamond and the pictures of the officers doing the delivery.  
  
“As soon as we got the diamond, we set up for a team to personally deliver it back to the museum,” James explained, gesturing to the board. “They left Thursday night and were supposed to get there Friday morning. Friday morning comes, and the diamond doesn’t show. All police departments near the route they were taking started a massive search, and eventually some guys found our van and our officers at the halfway point in Pittsburgh. All the squad cars and the van were flipped over and covered with bullet holes. Only… only one guy made it.”  
  
Vincent clenched his fists. “Who was it?”  
  
“His name is Travis Ellend,” Emily answered. “He’s one of our newer officers, only been our department for a year. He was in one of the squad cars following the van for the delivery.”  
  
“How soon until we can talk to him?”  
  
“Not soon enough. He’s still out cold in the hospital. But it doesn’t matter, we all have a good idea what happened.”  
  
Vincent nodded. “Ambush.”  
  
“Right,” said the captain. “We think some of Harvey’s guys might have come back for the diamond. Bit of pay back for taking out their boss, probably.”  
  
“You sure about that?” said Vincent. “I mean, Harvey wasn’t exactly considerate of his employees. The only reason they had to stick around was because they were getting paid. Without the money, what’s the point?”  
  
“You’re really gonna stand there and try to defend those criminals, Moretti?” his captain asked distastefully. “I guess that’s what you’re good at these days.”  
  
Vincent glared slightly, but his tone remained professional. “Sir, Harvey was a cold, heartless killer and wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone he thought was in his way, including his employees. If they found out they were free from his mess, they might not try to get revenge for it.”  
  
“If these guys are crazy enough to work for Harvey in the first place, then they’re crazy enough to try to steal the Orlov. All that matters is finding them and that diamond.”  
  
Vincent shrugged. “Well, there’s nothing we can do until Ellend wakes up and we can question him.”  
  
“Not quite,” his captain said. “That’s one of the reasons I even called you up here.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Caruso! Your buddy that you bailed out the other day. We all know he was Harvey’s right hand man before he first went to prison. If there’s any kind of hint to who did this, Caruso might know something.”  
  
Vincent felt his jaw lock. He was so distracted by the ambush and the state of the case that he had momentarily forgotten about Leo. The memory of the previous night filled his mind, and the look of betrayal on Leo’s face flashed in front of him.  
  
“Vincent? You still with us?”  
  
He blinked as he heard Emily’s voice. He saw both her and James were staring at him in confusion.  
  
“Yeah, I’m good,” he assured them.  
  
“Look, you need to go find Caruso and bring him in for questioning,” the captain said sternly. “We need to know everything he knows about this.”  
  
“Sir, that isn’t going to work,” Vincent retorted. “We’ve had Leo in the interrogating room more times than we can count at this point, and he’s never said a word in there.”  
  
“How else do you expect to get anything out of him?”  
  
Vincent swallowed hard. “I can talk to him.”  
  
His captain scoffed. “Oh, please…”  
  
“Leo knows me, he trusts me. He told me lots of stuff about Harvey when we were on the run. I can get him to tell me more.”  
  
“Moretti, if you think I’m gonna let you-”  
  
“Sir, the Black Orlov has just been stolen again and probably by someone more dangerous than Harvey. We don’t have time to do anything else. This is the quickest and easiest way to find out what Leo knows, and you know that.”  
  
Vincent stood his ground, a firm expression on his face. James folded his arms, staring off in a different direction. He was silent for a moment before letting out an irritated sigh.  
  
“Fine, Moretti. I’ll let you give this shit a try. But if I think it’s going south at all, we’re bringing Caruso in and we’re not letting him out until we get something.”  
  
“Alright.”  
  
“And another thing,” he turned to look Vincent dead in the eye. “When this case is finally over, I want an updated mission report and your resignation on my desk. You’re a damn good cop, Vincent… but I’m tired of your antics over this. The sooner you’re out, the sooner I can move on from this shit.”  
  
Vincent glared slightly as he nodded. “No problem, sir.”  
  
The captain frowned at him before turning to face the board again. Vincent shook his head as he turned and walked towards the door. As he walked out, he heard footsteps running up behind him before someone grabbed and tugged on his elbow. He turned around and was surprised to see Emily standing next to him. She waited until the door had closed all the way before turning to speak to him.  
  
“A bar fight? Really?”  
  
He shrugged. “What? It’s believable. You have any idea how many tough guys I’ve arrested for getting in bar fights?”  
  
“Yeah, but you’ve never come out of it with a black eye before,” she frowned up at him. “This… this has something to do with Leo, doesn’t it?”  
  
Vincent hesitated. Emily glared up at him, waiting for an answer. He sighed.  
  
“Yeah…”  
  
“You told him, didn’t you? That you’re a cop.”  
  
“I did.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“Look, it doesn’t matter why,” Vincent waved her off. “What’s important is that I work on getting Leo to work with me on this.”  
  
Emily gaped at him. “Vincent, do you even know if Leo’s gonna help us?”  
  
“I just need to talk to him. If I tell him what’s going on he might wanna help. He hated Harvey just as much as I did. If these are his guys, he won’t want them getting away with this.”  
  
Emily didn’t respond. She stood there, staring up at Vincent in awe and confusion. He frowned.  
  
“What?”  
  
“What’s going on with you, Vincent?” she asked. “You’re… you’re different. You’ve been acting strange ever since Mexico. Maybe even before that…”  
  
Vincent sighed. “Emily… I can’t explain to you what’s going on between me and Leo right now.”  
  
“I-”  
  
“It’s better for both of us if we don’t focus on that right now. What we need to do is finish this case and get the diamond back to where it belongs.”  
  
Emily stared up at him, looking unable to speak for a moment. She huffed as she shook her head.  
  
“You care about him,” she stated. “You care, and you’re afraid you’ll be labeled as compromised and taken off the case.”  
  
“I have a lot on my plate right now,” Vincent admitted. “And all this did was make it a lot more complicated. Look, I’m gonna find Leo and try to talk with him, get him to help us.”  
  
“Why don’t you go see him?”  
  
He shook his head. “I don’t think he’d be very happy if I turned up at his house right now.”  
  
“Hmm… have you talked to his lawyer yet?”  
  
“He’s got a lawyer already?”  
  
“Yeah, he was assigned one the other day after he left,” she answered. “His name’s Thomas Mallis. I looked at his files and he’s got a pretty good record. I think Leo’s in safe hands with him.”  
  
“How is talking to his lawyer gonna help?”  
  
“If Leo hears from his lawyer that helping us will benefit him in his case, he might be more willing to cooperate,” she raised an eyebrow. “You got a better idea?”  
  
Vincent didn’t answer her immediately. It wasn’t that he thought her idea was bad, but he was currently trying to figure out a way to get back on Leo’s good side. And if he just showed up to get his lawyer to convince him to help, he might be less than enthusiastic to see him. But, this was just too important. Whatever drama was going on in his life would have to wait. He had to finish this mission. He groaned and nodded.  
  
“Fine.”  
  
“Good. I heard that he’s supposed to be seeing him at his office in a few days. You better talk to him before then. And you better get this done soon, the Captain is getting impatient over this.”  
  
“Yeah, he seemed pretty edgy in there,” he grimaced.  
  
Emily chuckled. “He’s been a real hard-ass over this. He wants to get this case over and done quickly.”  
  
Vincent groaned. “That makes two of us…” 

* * *

Leo stood in front of the tiny mirror, straightening the jacket he was wearing. He was supposed to be going to the courthouse tomorrow to see his assigned lawyer to discuss his current state and their plan for the trial, which is supposed to happen in a month or so. He had taken Emily’s advice and had gone out to buy the nicest tie he could afford. Leo might not wear ties that often, but he still knew how to tie one just fine.  
  
“You’re looking sharp, baby.”  
  
He glanced up and saw Linda’s reflection in the mirror. She was leaning against the doorway, arms folded, grinning at him. He gave her a small smile before it quickly faded, and he looked back at his own reflection. As he started to take off his jacket, he saw Linda slowly walk up to stand behind him.  
  
“Baby… I know you’re upset about everything, but… can’t we just talk for a moment? You haven’t spoken about it since.”  
  
He shook his head. “I don’t feel like talkin’ about it, okay?”  
  
He felt her reach up and grasp his arm. He rolled his eyes slightly as he turned to look down at her.  
  
“Baby, I don’t blame you for being mad. I’d be mad, too.”  
  
He said nothing as he turned away and hung his jacket back on it hanger. Linda sighed as she folded her arms again.  
  
“Vincent came by the day before bailing you out and told me everything,” she explained. “He talked about himself, who he was, how he lied. But… mostly all he could talk about was you. He was really worried about you, Leo. He was scared you were gonna get stuck in prison before we could help you.”  
  
Leo scoffed. “Give me a break…”  
  
“Oh, don’t even start that. You know he didn’t have to bail you out and he did anyway.”  
  
Leo shook himself away as he turned and started to walk away. Linda grabbed onto his arm tightly to stop him. He groaned as he turned to look back at her.  
  
“They were gonna take you to prison the next day, Leo. You would’ve been stuck there until the trial instead of here. If he didn’t care, he would’ve left you there.”  
  
He rolled his eyes. “And that makes what he did okay, right?”  
  
She shook her head. “No, but it does mean that he really wants to fix it,” she squeezed his arm slightly. “Baby, I can tell that this is eating at you. You should talk to him.”  
  
“Why do you care about this so much?” he asked irritably. “Huh? Listen to yourself, you’re my wife and you’re telling me to go talk to him?”  
  
“Because I can see how this is making you feel.”  
  
He shook his head and pulled his arm away from her. “What I’m feeling right now is pissed off. Okay? The last thing I need right now is him getting in my face about it.”  
  
“You miss him!” she snapped. “And I know he misses you.”  
  
“Miss him?! I don’t miss him!”  
  
But it was a lie. It was a big fat lie that Leo was unwilling to admit to anyone, even himself. Vincent had been on his mind since the night he confessed to him. He was angry, confused, betrayed… but he did miss him. He couldn’t understand why. The last time someone close to him betrayed him, he ended up hatting him so much that he killed him. So, why didn’t he feel that way towards his friend? Was he his friend? Sure, punching him in the face had felt good at the time, but what good did it do really? If anything, it made things more complicated. Leo shook his head. Why should he care? Vincent lied to him and used him for his own gain. He pretended to be someone else just to get him to stick around. Now wonder he was so persistent about working together in prison.  
  
“You can’t keep avoiding him like this,” said Linda. “You both need to stop acting like a bunch of babies and talk this shit out.”  
  
Before he could snap back, she had already turned and started heading towards their bedroom. He frowned at her for a moment before turning away, shaking his head slightly.

* * *

It wasn’t late, really. I was simply feeling a little impatient. Impatient and excited. If everything went well, then they should be back any minute now. Mother used to always say “good things come to those who wait”. Well, I certainly was doing a lot of waiting lately. But, there was not much else I could do from here except be patient. I sat quietly in my large chair as I drank the wine from my glass. Just a day ago, my adviser, Rico, had called to say that their mission had been successful, and the package had been taken. They could only stay in contact briefly before returning home, and everyone was on edge waiting for their return. But, all we could do is wait.  
  
Suddenly, I heard voices on the other side of the door before it burst open. I sighed as I shook my head.  
  
“I thought I told you boys I don’t wish to be bothered.”  
  
“Boss!”  
  
I froze for a moment before smiling widely. I took another sip of my wine as I turned around in my seat. There was Rico, walking towards me with a look of absolute triumph on his face. He was holding a large silver briefcase in one of his hands. I could feel my eyes light up at the sight of that case.  
  
“Is that…?”  
  
“Yes, boss.”  
  
Rico carefully set the briefcase on the surface of my desk, pushing it in front of me. He took a step backwards, placing his hands in his pockets. He looked so proud, and he should be. I grinned at him as I stood up from my chair and set down my glass. I reached up and pulled the case closer to me, flipping the locks up with my thumbs. Slowly, I opened the case and looked inside. My eyes immediately landed on the big, beautiful piece of jewelry I had been waiting for. The stone and the silver around it glimmered in the firelight. I let out a soft sigh as I reached out the touch the soft gem with my fingers. Then, I gently took it out and lifted it up to my face to admire it.  
  
“Isn’t it beautiful, Rico?”  
  
“Absolutely stunning.”  
  
“It’s just as Nicolás described it.”  
  
I gazed at the diamond for several second more before carefully placing it back in the case. I slowly closed the lid as my smile faded. I picked up my glass and took a small sip from it.  
  
“Have the… other issues been dealt with yet?” I asked.  
  
Rico shook his head. “I’m afraid not, boss. But, we have managed to find they’re location. Not only are they in the same state, they’re in the same town as well.”  
  
“How convenient,” I gave him a serious look. “You have your instructions; you know what needs to be done. So, get it done.”  
  
“Yes, boss.”  
  
He gave me a confident smirk before turning and walking out of the room. I walked around my desk and over towards the fireplace. I stared into the light as I absentmindedly reached up and touched the ring on my left hand.  
  
“Soon, my dear… Soon it will all be over.”


	10. Tensions Aside

Ch. 10

Tensions Aside

 

“Honestly, I’m a little surprised you agreed to meet this early. Most of my clients with records like yours don’t even bother showing up.”  
  
Leo didn’t respond to his lawyers’ comment. He hadn’t said much since walking into the neat, cramped office. Places like these were way out of his comfort zone, and the people that were in them didn’t help. Thomas Mallis; Leo had never heard of the guy, but according to Emily he was a damn good lawyer. At first glance, he looks like any other suit, and Leo didn’t do well with suits. But, Thomas was the only person in this building that didn’t look at him like he was a gross bug or something, so he was trying not to show him too much attitude.  
  
“Well, it’s not like I’ve got much of a choice here, do I?”  
  
“Of course you do,” Thomas grinned. “You just made the right one, that’s all.”  
  
Leo raised his eyebrows at him. Thomas took out a few files full of papers from his drawer and set them all on his desk. He had his suspicions that they were all filled with information about him.  
  
“So, first thing’s first,” he said as he sat down in his chair and picked up some papers. “I’ve looked over your file and reports from both of your arrests. There’s a lot of strong evidence as well as witnesses that can be used against you in court. The sentence from your first arrest coupled with this one is sure to add up. No doubt they’ll be adding up all the other charges you got after your escape, like what happened at the hospital.  
  
“Is this supposed to help me or what?” Leo asked angrily.  
  
Thomas set down his papers and folded his arms. “Honestly Leo, when I first saw your file I thought ‘there’s nothing I can do for this guy’. But… I’ve gotten out of tight situations before, and I might have something that’ll help you… if you’re willing to work with me.”  
  
Leo didn’t like the way he said that. It gave him a suspicious feeling in his gut. But, he wasn’t stupid enough to try to say no. Despite what Thomas said, he really didn’t have much of a choice here.  
  
“Okay. What is it?”  
  
“Have you been keeping up with the news?”  
  
"Not really.”  
  
“Are you aware that the Black Orlov was being delivered back to it’s home a few nights ago?”  
  
Leo shook his head.  
  
“Well, the vehicle that was delivering the diamond was ambushed the night of delivery. It was stolen again.”  
  
Leo nearly stood up in shock. Ambush? Stolen?  
  
“What? How-”  
  
“Hold on,” Thomas held a hand up. “That’s not why I’m telling you this. A member from the police department involved came in this morning and informed me that they are concerned that Harvey’s men might be behind it, and they need all the info and help they can get. You were once very close with Harvey, you can provide information that they may need.”  
  
Leo was two seconds away from telling him to tell the police to eat his shorts, that he wouldn’t be caught dead helping them. But, curiosity ate at the back of his mind. Why did they think Harvey’s guys were involved? They couldn’t have done this, could they? And were they really desperate enough for Leo’s help?  
  
“They really think it’s Harvey’s guys?” Leo asked.  
  
“I don’t know, that’s for them to find out,” Thomas leaned forward. “Take the offer, Leo. The department needs your help, and this time you get to give it willingly. Plus, they said that if you help, they will be able to put in a good word for you for the trial. Leo, I think this is what we need to keep you out of prison.”  
  
Leo sighed. “Say I agree to help, what do I need to do?”  
  
“The officer who spoke to me has been assigned to work with you and will tell you all you need to know. He might actually still be here,” he glanced down at his watch. “I spoke with him right before I spoke with you.”  
  
Leo hesitated before asking, “What’s his name?”  
  
Thomas didn’t respond at first. He had a sarcastic smirk on his face that only grew as he picked up Leo’s file. He flipped through a few pages before taking out a cut out of a newspaper article and placing it on the desk.  
  
“I think you already know.”  
  
Leo groaned slightly as he saw his and Vincent’s faces plastered on the newspaper clipping.

* * *

Leo knew, even before he left the office, that Vincent was still there. He was definitely still there. There’s no way he would come out to speak with Leo’s lawyer and not try to see him too. And he was right. As soon as Leo walked out of the building and into the afternoon sun, he saw him sitting on the stairs in front of the entrance, looking out into the street. Waiting for him. Leo thought about just walking away. He thought about yelling at Vincent for coming here. He thought long and hard about running up and giving him a good kick to the head. But, in a moment, those thoughts disappeared, replaced by the urge to just… walk up and speak to him. Leo clenched his fists and marched right up to Vincent, who hadn’t noticed him yet.  
  
“Why am I not surprised you’re here.”  
  
Vincent lifted his head and turned around. His eyes seemed to light up when he saw Leo and he immediately got to his feet. It wasn’t until he was standing that Leo got a good look at his face and saw that he had a black eye. It was slightly faded, but still dark and prominent against his skin. Leo remembered the night at the bar, and how he had punched Vincent in the face. He felt a small pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach as he looked at the bruise.  
  
“I’m surprised you came up to me,” he said. “I- I figured you didn’t want to see me.”  
  
“Is that why you came and talked to Thomas before I did?”  
  
“I-”  
  
“Couldn’t be bother to talk to me first?”  
  
Vincent didn’t say anything. His face fell slightly as he glanced away from him. Leo huffed an irritable “Whatever” before turning and walking away. Vincent didn’t try to stop him, and part of him was glad he didn’t. _Just keep walkin’,_ he told himself. _It’s better this way…_ Then, as he reached the corner of the street, he heard footsteps quickly catching up with him.  
  
“Leo, wait!”  
  
He hesitated for just a second, and it was enough for Vincent to reach him. Before Leo could protest, Vincent started rambling.  
  
“Listen, I- I know you’ll never forgive me, and I don’t blame you. I don’t deserve it, okay? I was selfish, deceitful, and… and I used you.”  
  
He paused, probably to take a breath. Leo stood still, frozen as he stared at the other man.  
  
“We both wanted the same thing,” Vincent continued. “But you were the only one who was completely honest. I was so focused on avenging my brother that I didn’t care what I had to do to finish it. But, I should’ve cared…”  
  
Vincent stopped again, as though waiting for Leo to say something. But, he had nothing to say. He didn’t know what to say. _Why is he trying so hard? Why does he care?  
  
_ “Leo… my brother died trying to get that diamond back. I can’t walk away from this, even if I wanted to. I have to finish this. But… I can’t do it without you.”  
  
Vincent didn’t have the courage to admit it, but he had never had a partner like Leo. It was like they were somehow in sync with each other, even if they were rooms away. They always knew what to do, how to help each other. And they always managed to find a way back to each other.  
  
“And… and after we’re done, you can hate me as much as you want,” Vincent said in a low voice. “You can leave if you want, and… and you can forget about me. And-and that’ll be fine. Because I lied to you, I hurt you… and I was a terrible friend.”  
  
Vincent finally stopped talking. He continued to look at the ground, fists clenched, waiting for Leo’s response. But the other man didn’t know how to respond. He knew that things were still bad and tense between them, but did he want it to stay that way? He wasn’t surprised though. Of course, Vincent thought he hated him and didn’t want to see him again. He should feel that way. But, the truth was, he felt for Vincent. He didn’t grow up with siblings, or even parents, but he did have a family. A beautiful wife and an amazing son who he loved with all of his being. If anything ever happened to either of them, he wouldn’t rest until the bastard that did it was dead. And if avenging his family meant deceiving everyone around him, he wouldn’t hesitate.  
  
“I’ll do it.”  
  
It was a short and quick answer. Vincent lifted his head, staring with his mouth slightly open. Leo turned to face him completely.  
  
“Only ‘cause it’ll help keep me out of prison,” he added quickly. “And if Harvey’s guys did do it, I don't want him having the last laugh.”  
  
“I hear that,” Vincent nodded.  
  
"But, I’m not going down to the station. You can’t make me.”  
  
 _Well, technically we can…_ Vincent thought to himself, but didn’t say it out loud.  
  
“You won’t have to go there,” he said quickly. “I got the captain’s permission to work outside the office. We can go over everything at your place if you’d like?”  
  
“How ‘bout your place?”  
  
Vincent paused. “Mine?”  
  
“Yeah,” Leo felt himself smile a little, but tried to not let Vincent see. “I mean, you’ve already seen my house. Only fair I get to see yours, right?”  
  
Vincent hesitated before a grin spread on his face, causing a lump to form in Leo’s throat. That damn smile still did stuff to him.  
  
“Yeah, okay,” he said. “Sounds good. We should start working as soon as possible then.”  
  
“How ‘bout tomorrow night,” Leo said quickly. “I wanna be with my family tonight and I promised I’d be there.”  
  
“Yeah, of course.”  
  
“You got a pen?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Leo stopped and started rummaging through his pockets for a piece of paper. He found some notes with nothing on the back and thrust it into Vincent’s hands.  
  
“Just write the address.”  
  
Vincent nodded and quickly wrote down his address. He handed the piece of paper back to Leo, who pocketed it.  
  
“Right,” Vincent said. “I’ll, um… I’ll see you tomorrow night?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Both men stood there for a moment. Vincent gave Leo a small nod, putting his hands in his pockets as he turned and walked away. Leo stood there and watched him walk until he blended with a crowd of workers leaving for their lunch break. He let out a long sigh as the other man faded from view. What was he doing? He put his hands in his suit pockets and turned to start heading home.

* * *

Vincent received a call from Leo that morning just after he and Carol had finished breakfast. He had expected it to be his boss asking about the case, and nearly choked on his coffee when he heard Leo’s voice. He was glad that they had been conversing over the phone because he was smiling the whole time they had talked. Leo told him that he would be coming by that night around 7. That would give Vincent plenty of time to get all the files and evidence they needed to look over for that night. They each said a short goodbye and hung up the phone.  
  
Neither of them knew that the other was secretly very happy to see them again.  
  
Vincent spent most of the morning tending the Julie and getting her ready for the day. Carol had to help him give her a bath, but it was still fun for him. He was really loving being a dad. It wasn’t nearly as stressful as he expected. Julie cried at night sometimes of course, but other than that she was pretty quiet and not fussy at all. He hoped that it would last, but something told him it wouldn’t  
  
Later that day, he used his free afternoon to go down to the station to get everything he needed. He noticed when he walked into the building that a few people were staring at him oddly, and he ignored them. But, once he had gone through the whole office, he saw that everyone was giving him weird looks. Most looked confused, others concerned, and some looked downright disgusted. Vincent had to pull Emily aside to find out what the hell everyone was looking at him for.  
  
“The captain got really mad the day you helped bail Leo,” she explained to him. “After you left, he found out you were the one who bailed him out and blew up in front of the whole office, screaming about what you did. Everyone knows that you bailed him out, they just don’t know why.”  
  
He noticed that she had said ‘they don’t know why’, not ‘we don’t know why’. She had put a lot of emphasis on the word too, but he didn’t have time to ask her about it. The rest of the day, while he was busy gathering all of the evidence, his notes and files, people would stare for a moment as they walked by him. Whether the look was angry or worried, there was always confusion mixed in. They knew that Vincent helped Leo but couldn’t figure out why. And it was going to stay that way. It wasn’t any of their business.  
  
He put up with the weird looks all day until his shift was finally over. Was it annoying? Yes. But, as long as Emily wasn’t giving him any dirty looks, he could live with it. She was his only real friend at the precinct anyway.  
  
Now, after hours of anticipation for tonight, Vincent started getting nervous. And not the funny feeling in your gut nervous. It was the kind of nervous that made you think ‘is this a good idea’? He wanted- no, needed- Leo to help him finish this case, and he needed to do it so he could help Leo with his trial. But, he was still worried if they would be able to work together again. What if they couldn’t even be in the same room together? What if Leo got too upset and just left? What if they couldn’t solve the case? What if he couldn’t help Leo? What if-?  
  
“Are you alright?”  
  
Vincent quickly lifted his head. He had just been going over the notes for his case for what felt like the 15th time and his mind had wandered off. He turned and Carol was standing beside him, looking down at him.  
  
“Yeah,” he stood up from his chair. “I’m good. Why?”  
  
“You were reading your files, then you just started starring out the window.”  
  
Vincent tried to think of an excuse, but his voice caught in his throat. Carol smiled slightly and patted his shoulder.  
  
“Relax. You’re here to work this time, remember?”  
  
“Right. Work.”  
  
He turned to look at the clock. It was just passed 7. A normal person would be worried, but Vincent figured it would take Leo a few more minutes to get there.  
  
“Vincent,” Carol started. “I know how important all of this is to you and I’m here to support you both, but… I just want to make sure you don’t lose focus on what’s important like last time. Try not to get lost in your work again.”  
  
Vincent turned to face her and saw a look of worry and concern on her face. He smiled at her and grasped her hand.  
  
“I won’t. I promise.”  
  
Carol nodded, then a large smirk grew on her face. “And please, try not to fight in the house. I’d rather not have to clean this kitchen up first thing in the morning, because there’s no way I’ll be cleaning it tonight.”  
  
Vincent laughed, and Carol giggled as she squeezed him a little tighter.  
  
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.


End file.
